Illini Bio-Energy was formed in 2004 as an Illinois Co-Op with the goal of developing a value-added project for agriculture producers in Central Illinois. To this day, this basic objective had not changed!

IBE held its seed stock equity drive in 2004 where it gained 89 seed stock shareholders and funding enough to move into its Co-Op equity drive. This drive was held from January-March 2005, where IBE gained 760 investors, however, due to the strict corporate structure, numerous potential investors were turned away and the desired equity goal was not reached. Due to the outpouring interest from those potential investors outside the Co-Op structure, it was decided by the shareholders to merge into an Illinois Limited Liability Company in September of 2005.

As an LLC, IBE has made upgrades to the original project including: securing the plant location at Hartsburg, IL (Logan County), increasing production from a 50 mmgy facility to a 130 mmgy facility which includes corn fractionation, and moving from strictly coal energy to use bran and syrup, supplemented by natural gas, as its energy source. A 228 acre site has been purchased and most of the required permits are in place. Applications for amendments and/or time-specific permits will be submitted as needed.

Even though some of the logistics of the project have changed, Illini Bio-Energy, LLC mission remains the same…

“To give Illinois agricultural producers the opportunity to profit from a value-added project by using Illinois corn to create a safe, reliable, economical and renewable energy supply while creating jobs and strengthening the economies of rural Illinois.”