Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (KMP) recently acquired three unit train ethanol-handling terminals in Baltimore, Dallas and Linden, N.J., from U.S. Development Group (USD) for $195 million.

KMP also formed a joint venture with USD to coordinate access to the terminals, other assets KMP already owns and operates, and other projects under development. Together with existing ethanol terminal assets, the unit train terminals will enable KMP to create a nationwide distribution network of ethanol-handling facilities connected by rail, marine, truck and pipeline to meet the nation’s growing demand for biofuels, KMP officials said in a prepared statement. This year, the company expects to handle more than 218,000 barrels of ethanol per day.

KMP and USD entered into a joint-venture agreement that calls for optimizing and coordinating customer access to the expanded distribution platform, and facilitating a “rapid expansion” of additional ethanol logistics facilities throughout the United States, KMP officials said.