DuPont sells Iowa ethanol plant to German company; it will soon make renewable natural gas

The DuPont cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada will be sold to a German biofuels company's U.S. subsidiary, which plans to convert the plant to produce renewable natural gas.  Verbio North America Corp., the Michigan-based subsidiary of Verbio Vereinigte BioEnergie AG, will purchase the next-generation Iowa ethanol plant and a portion of its corn stover inventory. Verbio declined to provide a purchase price.The company expects to use corn stalks, husks and cobs to make the renewable natural gas, said Greg Northrup, president of Verbio's U.S. operation, in an email.Verbio will buy 100,000 tons of stover — roughly 150,000 bales — that DuPont has stored in central Iowa. Officials have not said how much stover will remain in storage after the sale.