10/23/2026
• First round of improvements complete, expected to increase corn grind by 10 million bushels in 2026
• Second round of investments expected to enhance efficiencies and increase corn demand by another 10 million bushels in 2027
• Investments reflect continued opportunity for biofuels to drive strong demand for American agriculture
• Facility already capturing CO2 via Tallgrass partnership, and investments are expected to reduce natural gas intensity in DDGS dryers
• Follows on announcements of investments in multiple other ADM facilities in the U.S.
CHICAGO — ADM (NYSE: ADM), a global leader in innovative solutions from nature, is making a series of investments at its Columbus, Nebraska, corn dry mill that the company expects to increase annual corn grind by 20 million bushels in an environment of increasing biofuel demand.
The investments are being made in two phases:
• 2026: Following a series of equipment upgrades and modernization projects completed since 2025, Columbus is operating at higher production rates and is expected to process approximately 10 million more bushels of corn this year than in 2025.
• 2027: A second round of investments, beginning this fall and expected to be completed next year, will introduce additional technologies to improve yields and reduce natural gas usage per ton of dried distillers grain produced in the facility's dryers. These enhancements are expected to increase annual corn processing by another 10 million bushels.
"Across ADM, we're making purposeful investments in areas where we see opportunities for growth and value creation, from expanding our biofuels capacity to enhancing our ability to connect agricultural production to emerging low-carbon markets," said Nick Smith, ADM’s president of North American Energy and Biofuels. "We've continued to invest in Columbus because we see long-term opportunity in U.S. biofuels and the important role they play in creating demand for American agriculture. Strong Renewable Volume Obligations, durable tax policy and growing demand for lower-carbon fuels contribute to the confidence needed to support long-term investment decisions. Our Columbus facility is a great example. We're building on previous investments, including our partnership with Tallgrass to transport and store CO2 from the facility, with further enhancements that we expect will increase annual corn processing by 20 million bushels compared with 2025. That's additional demand for American agriculture and a tangible example of how we're investing to connect farmers and their crops with growing markets."
As part of its broad decarbonization growth efforts, ADM announced in 2025 that, in partnership with Tallgrass, it had begun capturing CO2 from ethanol production at Columbus for transport via Tallgrass' Trailblazer pipeline and geologic sequestration in Wyoming. Earlier this year, the company announced its plans to enter the voluntary carbon market with more than 800,000 tons of annual removal capacity at Columbus.
"These investments build on the great work the Columbus team is already doing, including the facility's recent safety milestones," Smith said. "We're proud of what the team has accomplished and pleased to continue investing in the facility."
The investments in the Columbus facility are the latest in a series of enhancements ADM is making across its North American manufacturing footprint, including:
• Upgrades to corn receiving infrastructure in Clinton, Iowa
• Capacity expansion in the company’s natural colors facility in Boone County, Kentucky
• Increasing throughput at Optima, Oklahoma, grain elevator
• Investments at multiple facilities to increase North America crush capacity
"Farmers feed, fuel and clothe the world, and by continuing to invest in our North America facilities, we're helping drive demand and connect their crops to customers at home and around the world," Smith said.
