New biomass plant up and running in Shakopee

A new energy plant that generates heat and electricity by exclusively burning natural products is up and running in Shakopee.

The Koda Energy Plant is a joint venture of the Shakopee Mdewkanton Sioux Community and Rahr Malting of Shakopee. The plant began running continuously earlier this month.

It burns biomass materials including oat hulls, barley malt dust, wood chips and prairie grass. Everything it burns comes from within 60 miles of the plant.

Burning the biomass materials produces steam that powers a turbine that makes the electricity sold by Koda.

The Shakopee tribe says the plant gives farmers the option of planting prairie grass on marginal land, which they can sell to the plant.

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