Work on the ethanol plant on Rock Island Street about a month ago.

The principal partner of the  ethanol plant said Friday that it will probably be early 2009 when the Route 66 Ethanol plant will be operational.

The plant was initially expected to be in operation in the spring of this year.

Contacted by phone, Mark Hanson, a spokesman for the principal partner in the ethanol plant ,replied by facsimile. In the FAX Hanson stated  that:
“The refurbishment of the Tucumcari Ethanol Plant is proceeding. Unfortunately, there have been some unanticipated conditions which have caused the opening of the plant to be delayed.”

The principal partner in the plant is Odyssey Energy Holdings, LLC of Lake Oswego, Ore.

Hanson also stated that Odyssey “fully intends to complete the plant but does not believe that it will be operational until early 2009.

“The engineers are currently working on a revised scheduled that will provide a better indication of an opening date.”

When the plant is operating at full capacity, “it will produce 10 million gallons of ethanol per year and employ more than 30 individuals,” Hanson said.

According to earlier estimates by Odyssey the plant was expected to consume 3.8 million bushels of milo and/or corn, produce 84,000 tons of wet distillers’ grain annually.

The plant was originally purchased in August 2006 from the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corp. by SOZO Ethanol LCC of Texas.
Principals with SOZO had said the plant would serve as a research and development facility. It  would test various methods and ingredients for others in the ethanol production.

Earlier this year, in a published announcement Odyssey Energy  stated that Derek L. Brown of Oswego was a member and manager of Route 66 Ethanol as well.

The announcement also stated that Chehalem Energy, LLC was an investor in the project.