Southeast Kansas Issued BDO Zone 'BBB' Rating for Corn Stover

Southeast Kansas Issued BDO Zone 'BBB' Rating for Corn Stover

Southeast Kansas Positioned to Expand into Agricultural Biomass Market

Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, Ecostrat and the BDO Zone Initiative are pleased to announce the issue of an investment grade BDO Zone ‘BBB’ Rating for Southeast Kansas. The BDO Zone is rated for 154,000 bone dry tons per year of corn stover, and extends within a 75-mile radius from the center point, the City of Parsons, KS.

Southeast Kansas’s ‘BBB’ rating denotes good prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and expectations of default risk are currently low-medium. The capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered adequate. The region features strong support for new biomass ventures and rural economic development by local crop growers. There are no significant competing uses for corn stover, and an industrial park with Class 1 rail availability, extensive highway access, and 6,800 acres of contiguous land is available for industrial development.

“Our ‘BBB’ rating validates the agricultural potential of Southeast Kansas as a reliable source of corn stover for biobased manufacturing,” stated Carey Spoon, Executive Director, Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission. “With strong local grower support and substantial available land, we’re positioned to diversify our rural economy through sustainable partnerships that add value to our agricultural byproducts while creating new economic opportunities throughout our region.”

“Southeast Kansas’s BDO Zone ‘BBB’ rating for corn stover, combined with its strategic location in America’s agricultural corridor and extensive development-ready land, creates highly favorable conditions for companies looking to establish cost-effective biobased operations in America’s heartland.” , Jordan Solomon, Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative

To see the full BDO Zone Rating for Southeast Kansas, please click here or visit www.bdozone.org.

BDO Zone project development support:

• Brad Reams, Director, Great Plains Industrial Park, breams@parsonsks.com, 620-421-1228
• Alan Peranson, Director of Business Development, BDO Zone Initiative, alan@ecostrat.com, 833-311-4236

About The BDO Zone Initiative

The Biofuel Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative certifies ‘regional readiness’ for bio-manufacturing, creates global connections and ignites an influx of new energy opportunities for farmers, economic developers, and rural businesses. A BDO Zone rating is an internationally recognized, standards-based technical risk assessment of a region’s feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure risk with respect to the development potential for new biofuel plants. BDO Zone ratings are site location bullseyes for bio-project development. Investment grade ratings are force-multipliers for attracting new manufacturing plants to the areas where they are most likely to succeed, drive investment and create jobs.

For more information on the BDO Zone Initiative, contact info@bdozone.org. To view all BDO Zone ratings, visit www.bdozone.org. Check out the BDO Zone LinkedIn page for news and updates.

Ecostrat is the North American leader in biomass due diligence for biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, and bio-product project development and finance. Jordan Solomon (jordan.solomon@ecostrat.com) is Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative and President of Ecostrat (www.ecostrat.com).

Originally published at bdozone.org.