An Omaha-based company says it has completed its purchase of Nebraska ethanol plants near Central City and Ord. 

Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc., bought the two plants from AgStar Financial Services of Mankato, Minnesota AgStar had acquired them during VeraSun Energy Corp.'s bankruptcy auction.  AgStar helped finance the $123.5 million deal with Green Plains.

The addition of Central City's annual capacity of 100 million gallons and Ord's 50 million gallons gives Green Plains a 45 percent boost to a total capacity of 480 million gallons per year.  That would rank the company behind Poet LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Co., and Valero Energy Corp.

Sioux Falls-based VeraSun filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall.