Moses Lake ethanol plant proceeding

Project to be fully operational in 2008

MOSES LAKE - The president of a company bringing in an ethanol plant to Moses Lake said plans are progressing in spite of delays.

Redmond-based Liquafaction Corporation is expanding an existing ethanol facility at 720 Road N N.E., in Moses Lake.

The company turned in building permits Thursday.

"We basically were stalled for a long time because we had a contract with Earth Biofuels, and they were in default on their side of the contract," Liquafaction Corporation President Mark Mollo said.

Dallas, Texas-based Earth Biofuels is no longer connected with the project, Mollo said.

Earth Biofuels spokesperson Shawne Horn said the company has no comment on the Moses Lake project at this time.

Mollo wishes he could have reached the permitting point last November.

"We've been ready to move forward for at least seven months," he said. "The project's been stalled due to funding. We're funding it internally now."

Mollo believes the first stage of the project, producing 12 million gallons, should be done by the end of the year, and be fully operational, producing 36 million gallons, by the end of next summer.

Mollo said he hasn't really tried to get into the Moses Lake community.

"We don't play the political game most companies do when they come into a town and try to get freebies from the city or water or anything, we just build it," he said. "We don't try to get government grants, we don't try to do any of that stuff."

But Mollo said he is sure people will be happy once the project brings in 25 to 35 jobs.

"They're all going to be well-paying jobs," he said. "Our budgets are such that the job is going to be two times the normal wages of that area."

For more information, access the Liquafaction Corporation Web site at www.liquacorp.com or call 425-269-0304.