LIBERAL ? Conestoga Energy officials said the largest plant yet to be built in Kansas started production Monday.

The Arkalon Ethanol plant is set to produce 110 million gallons a year, which is a 50-million-gallon greater capacity than the Gateway Ethanol plant in Pratt, according to the Kansas Corporation Commission’s most recent figures.

Nick Hatcher, chairman of the Conestoga Energy Board of Directors, confirmed on Monday that production had started at the plant.

Conestoga Energy spokes-man Dusty Turner has said the Arkalon plant could be producing as much as 300,000 gallons of ethanol a day within a month.

The 150-acre site is about eight miles northeast of Liberal. The plant takes up about 40 acres.

The plant will reuse distillers grain, a byproduct of ethanol production that can be used for livestock feed.

The plant also will sequester carbon dioxide emissions and sell them to Chaparral Energy to use in oil field exploration.

Turner said about 40 people will work at the Arkalon plant.

Besides plants in Garden City and Liberal, Conestoga Energy also is a partner in the Boot Hill Biofuels venture near Dodge City. That project had problems when it recently failed to meet a grant-qualification deadline.

“This has got our boat loaded for a while,” Turner said of the two existing plants. “Once we get these up and running we’re going to continue to help efforts over at Dodge City.”

Increased sales tax receipts during the plant’s 12-month construction phase has helped Seward County, said Shannon Francis, the county commission chairman. He expects the local economy to continue to benefit during the plant’s operation.

“We’re just lucky to have local entrepreneurs in this community that can put this together,” Francis said. “Value-added agriculture is one of the most important ways our part of the world can experience economic growth.”