NEVADA (AP) – DuPont has chosen a central Iowa location near Nevada for its next-generation ethanol plant.

Jennifer Hutchins, a spokeswoman for DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol, a subsidiary of Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont, said the plant will take 12 to 18 months to build and is expected to ready for production in 2013.

The facility will use corncobs, leaves and stalks to produce ethanol rather than kernels of corn and employ about 60 workers. DuPont Danisco is working with local farmers to get commitments for collecting cobs, leaves and stalks from their fields.

The plant will need about 300,000 dry tons of stover annually, according to Hutchins.

Fort Dodge’s North Central Ag Industrial Park was a finalist in DuPont’s search for a location.

John Kramer, President of the Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County, said not winning the DuPont project was a surprise, but added that it would not slow the organization’s efforts to develop the location.

He added that the development corporation was working with other campanies that process biomass, but declined to identify them.

According to documents filed with the state DuPont’s Nevada investment will tally $275.5 million.

DuPont had announced in January that the project would go to Iowa, beating out a bid from Nebraska.

The Iowa Power Fund board approved a project grant of $9 million in February.

DuPont will be buying land next to Nevada’s Lincolnway Energy ethanol plant.

“We’re producing cellulosic ethanol sustainably and economically today, and the market is ready and interested to deploy large-scale biorefineries,” said Joe Skurla, CEO of DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol.

“We are purchasing the site next to Lincolnway because it will meet the business needs for our project, and provides potential economic and environmental synergies for both facilities.”

Nevada has said it would provide nearly $8.7 million in tax abatement over 10 years. The Iowa Power Fund also agreed to provide $586,000 in job training assistance and $4.6 million in tax credits.

Bill Shea of The Messenger added to this report for Farm News.