Hennepin, Illinois-based Marquis Energy sent a letter to its farmers and community members on March 27 announcing the company’s ethanol plant is “economically and logistically positioned to remain open" despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors.

The letter notes the 350 MMgy Marquis Energy plant is the largest dry mill ethanol plant in the world. “Our facility’s scale size and location on the river, lends us to be both economical and efficient,” said Mark Marquis, CEO of Marquis Energy, in the letter. “Of the 200 or so ethanol plants, only a handful are located on the river and equipped with access to a Class 1 railroad. We are uniquely positioned to cost-effectively barge and rail our fuel and dried distillers grains around the globe.”

“We are also fortunate to have developed the most prolific team in the industry,” Marquis continued.  "We remain on the cutting-edge of innovation and marketing—designing and implementing our technology to capture new records of high protein animal feed and marketing our products to the end users globally. I hope this reassures you that even with the decline in fuel demand, Marquis Energy will be here.”

Earlier in the month, Marquis Energy released a statement indicating that the stay-at-home order issued by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on March 20 has not impacted the facility’s ability to operate. Marquis Energy is classified as an “essential business” and will continue to produce fuel and dried distillers grains, the company said.