Missouri's first ethanol plant is under construction.

Groundbreaking for the plant was held recently at Macon. The plant, which will process about 5 million bushels of corn annually to produce about 15 million gallons of ethanol, will be constructed by Northeast Missouri Grain Processors LLC.

To date, Missouri has imported all of the ethanol it uses, said Gov. Mel Carnahan, who attended the groundbreaking. "In about a year, this plant will have ethanol to sell," he said.