Emporia, Kansas
The Emporia, Kansas BDO Zone for Corn Stover is rated ‘BBB’.
Rating Issue Date: March 1, 2024.
'BBB' Ratings denote good prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure (FS&I), and expectations of FS&I risk are currently low in the Zone.
Emporia, KS holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘BBB’ Rating for Corn stover. Issued in Mar 2024, the rating certifies approximately 200,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mile driving distance from the center point (Emporia, KS).
A ‘BBB’ rating is an investment grade rating, signalling a good, moderate-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Emporia, KS’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- Harvesting corn stover is a relatively common practice in the region, offering the supply zone a starting point in equipment availability and operational experience.
- Industrial site has access to the east-west highway corridor, taking advantage of the state's great road infrastructure.
- Established educational institutions with history of working with industry to attract & develop skilled labor.
- Yield variability could present sustainability challenges regarding corn stover removal rate in certain regions of the supply zone.
- Cattle farming utilizes corn silage and corn stover, creating competition and impacting the security of the supply chain.
- Despite competitively priced industrial land, no industrial activities currently happening on the site, which adds uncertainty to permitting and utilities installation.
- Infrastructure for transporting commercial quantities of corn stover bales is not fully established.
Infrastructure & sites
- 300-acres of shovel-ready industrial sites available
- 300-acres of shovel-ready industrial sites available
- 300-acres of shovel-ready industrial sites available
Local grants & incentives
- real property tax abatements
- community development block grant loans
- discounted land
- infrastructure improvements
- industrial revenue bonds
Contacts
