January 05, 2012

Headwaters Incorporated Announces Sale of Its 51% Ownership in Blue Flint Ethanol LLC



Headwaters Incorporated today announced that Great River Energy has acquired full ownership of Blue Flint Ethanol LLC, an ethanol biorefinery located in Underwood, ND, from Headwaters Ethanol Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Headwaters Incorporated. Prior to this acquisition, Great River Energy owned 49 percent of Blue Flint Ethanol LLC and Headwaters Ethanol Holdings owned 51 percent.

Great River Energy is one of the nation’s largest generation and transmission cooperatives. It was the first utility in the U.S. to locate an agricultural processing facility next to a coal-fired power station. The Blue Flint biorefinery purchases process steam from Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station facility. In doing so, Blue Flint Ethanol, the joint venture between Great River Energy and Headwaters, was able to avoid the cost of building and operating a separate boiler unit. This helped make Blue Flint Ethanol one of the most cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly ethanol plants in the country.

"We were pleased to have worked with Great River Energy over the past five years in building and operating an exemplary biorefinery. They have been an excellent partner for us," said Donald P. Newman, Headwaters' Chief Financial Officer. "Under the terms of the agreement, effective January 1, 2012, Headwaters received approximately $18.5 million in cash proceeds. Headwaters intends to use the net proceeds from the sale to reinvest in assets of its business and to strengthen its balance sheet."

Blue Flint Ethanol LLC will continue to operate as a wholly-owned independent subsidiary of Great River Energy.


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