Renewable Energy Group held a groundbreaking ceremony to formally launch a $24 million expansion of its Ralston, Iowa, biorefinery from 12 million to 30 million gallons of annual nameplate production capacity.
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds were the featured guests at the event attended by several business leaders and elected officials.
”REG Ralston has been an efficient biorefinery with an ample supply of lower cost, lower carbon intensity feedstock next door connected by a pipe, and the original nameplate capacity was tied to the output of soybean oil from the adjacent crush,” said Daniel J. Oh, president. “This expansion matches the greater output volume from the newly expanded soy crush at Landus Cooperative.”
In addition to the capacity expansion, the project will include logistics improvements and other site enhancements. Up to $20 million in long-term debt financing is expected to be provided for this project.
“The decision by Landus Cooperative to expand their soy crush facility presented REG with an excellent, efficient opportunity,” said Brad Albin, vice president, manufacturing. “With a greater, adjacent feedstock supply and our history of continuous improvements, this capacity expansion is a logical investment.”
Branstad recalled the history behind the Ralston facility. "I was here in the 1990s when biodiesel was just a dream,” he said. “I am honored to participate in the expansion of Iowa’s first continuous flow biodiesel plant. REG has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to investing in Iowa and building a future for this state in home grown, advanced biofuel.”
Once completed, the Ralston expansion will increase REG’s cumulative nameplate capacity from its 11 active biomass-based diesel plants across the US to 470 million gallons annually.
A video on the REG Ralston expansion and the plant’s history, part of a series celebrating REG’s 10-year anniversary as an independent company, can be viewed at the company’s website, www.regi.com or by clicking here to view the video on REG’s YouTube channel.
About Renewable Energy Group
Renewable Energy Group, Inc. is a leading provider of cleaner, lower carbon intensity products and services and is North America’s largest producer of biomass-based diesel. REG utilizes a nationwide production, distribution and logistics system as part of an integrated value chain model to focus on converting natural fats, oils and greases into advanced biofuels and converting diverse feedstocks into renewable chemicals. With 12 active biorefineries across the country, research and development capabilities and a diverse and growing intellectual property portfolio, REG is committed to being a long-term leader in bio-based fuels and chemicals.
For more than a decade, REG has been a reliable supplier of advanced biofuels which meet or exceed ASTM quality specifications. REG sells REG-9000 biomass-based diesel to distributors so consumers can have cleaner burning fuels that help diversify the energy complex and increase energy security. REG-9000 biomass-based diesel is distributed in most states in the US. REG also markets ultra-low sulfur diesel and heating oil in the northeastern and midwestern US. For more information on REG visit our website at www.regi.com.