The quality of biofuels made throughout the Midwest will be checked in a laboratory at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge starting next year.

A permanent biofuels testing lab has been set up in the BioScience and Health Sciences Center. It replaces a temporary facility set up last year in another campus building.

Faculty and staff members are going through the process of getting the lab accredited by various scientific agencies, according to Jim Kersten, an associate vice president of the college. He said he expects that process to be finished early next year.

''That will allow us to test fuels made in Iowa and the Midwest,'' Kersten said.

He added that the college lab may become the designated testing facility for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. That department is responsible for ensuring the quality of fuels sold in Iowa. Kersten said the college may provide low cost testing of fuel samples that department inspectors collect at service stations throughout the state.

It's possible the lab staff may provide testing services in the future for Elevance Renewable Sciences, a company in Newton that was awarded $2.5 million in federal money Friday to develop jet fuel, diesel fuel and other chemicals from plant oils and poultry fat.

Kersten said no one from the college has been in contact with representatives of Elevance, but added, ''We would be very willing to work with this company in Newton.''

Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net