HAMMOND, Ind.,
December 8, 2005 – Evergreen
Renewables LLC, a National Biodiesel
Board member, today announced they are
bringing the first operating biodiesel
plant to the state of Indiana. Located
at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, the
facility will cost approximately $10
million, and will initially produce 5
million gallons of biodiesel per year
made exclusively from soybean oil.
The group aims
to start producing biodiesel in the
first quarter of 2006 and intends to
expand production to 30 million
gallons per year. The facility will be
constructed to produce biodiesel
according to BQ-9000, the leading
industry quality standard for
biodiesel producers. The project will
bring jobs, revenue, and renewable
fuels to local communities while
providing clear benefits to the
environment.
Key Local Support
“Biodiesel is simple to use,
biodegradable, nontoxic and
essentially free of sulfur and smell,”
said Carl Lisek, Coordinator for South
Shore Clean Cities, a U.S. Department
of Energy Program. Hammond should be
very familiar with this renewable
fuel; the City of Hammond school bus
fleet has been successfully operating
on a biodiesel blend (B20) since the
2001 school year. “While our nation’s
thirst for oil puts our economic,
energy security and air quality at
risk, we see this facility as an
alternative that works for improving
our quality of life,” he said.
Brian
Engel, Evergreen Renewables’ partner,
said the need for clean, renewable
fuel made in the United States has
never been more apparent. ‘‘The
community of Hammond will be
contributing to our nation’s energy
security and a cleaner environment,’’
he said. Every gallon of homegrown and
locally produced biodiesel used
displaces a gallon of diesel produced
from imported foreign oil. Current
prices for biodiesel blends are
competitive with regular diesel. Local
residents that use biodiesel blends
will save money at the pump and keep
more in their wallets.
Project Development
“We
have been looking at the viability of
various biodiesel ventures for more
than 5 years,” said Edible Oil
Marketing (EOM) President and
Evergreen Renewables’ partner Engel.
“We are excited to bring together the
unique marketing, risk management,
engineering, and terminal expertise of
our partners together in Hammond. The
facility site at Wolf Lake Terminals
is optimally situated to source
soybean oil from a number of Indiana
soybean processors and to supply the
growing demand for biodiesel to
various wholesale rack fuel
distributors in the region.”
Paul
Johnson, Senior Vice President of Bank
of America, recently commented, “We
have worked closely with EOM as their
vegetable oil business has grown and
look forward to helping them expand
into biodiesel production.”
Benefits of Biodiesel
Biodiesel is recognized by the
Environmental Protection Agency as a
clean alternative to regular diesel
fuel, which reduces carcinogenic
emissions and gases related to global
warming. Biodiesel yields significant
environmental benefits, such as
reduction in carbon monoxide and
lifecycle carbon dioxide. In addition,
the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides
and sulfates, which are major
components of acid rain, are
essentially eliminated. Biodiesel,
produced from renewable oils such as
soybean oil, works in any diesel
engine with few or no modifications.
Biodiesel offers enhanced lubricity
and cetane, plus similar horsepower
and torque when compared to diesel
petroleum diesel. Over 600 major
fleets use biodiesel nationwide such
as Hammond City Schools, the National
Park Service, state departments of
transportation and the U.S. military.
Independent studies show biodiesel has
the highest energy balance of any
fuel. A prominent US Department of
Agriculture and Department of Energy
study shows for every unit of fossil
fuel used to make biodiesel, 3.2 units
of energy are gained in energy output.
That's a 320% increase and includes
soybean planting, harvesting, fuel
production and transportation.
About the Project Developers
Evergreen Renewables LLC is a
partnership between EOM, an
independent vegetable oil marketer and
Process Technology Associates LLC
(PTA), a chemical and process
engineering firm, in conjunction with
Wolf Lake Terminals, Inc., which
currently owns and operates a fully
integrated liquid storage and
distribution facility in Hammond.
Evergreen Renewables is a proud member
of the National Biodiesel Board
For
further information please contact
Marc Wharton, Evergreen Renewables at
(402) 397-2622, or visit
www.wolflakeinc.com
