Dalby Bio-Refinery has maintained production of biofuel and wet distiller’s grain after a fire in May.

GRAIN receivals at United Petroleum’s Dalby Bio-refinery were not affected by the fire which damaged a section of the plant on May 26.

Production of ethanol and wet distiller’s grain (WDG) had continued, with only one day of production lost in the wake of the fire.

However, the blaze did significant damage to the section of the plant’s equipment used to turn WDG into dried distiller’s grain (DDG), production of which would not likely resume until later this month.

“We are working frantically to get our DDG back on line, and we hope to have some dryer capacity back in operation between 18 and 30 June,” United CEO, Gavin Hughes, said.

Mr Hughes said replacement parts were being made in Germany, and the company was keeping grain suppliers and customers up to date with progress.

The plant receives about 550t/day of grain, mostly sorghum, the starch component of which is processed into ethanol, through fermentation, for sale as biofuel.

The other main product of the plant is DDG with a minimum protein specification of 37 per cent; this is sold primarily as a high-protein stockfeed for pigs, dairy cows and long-fed beef cattle.