Claypool BioDiesel Plant Expands
The Dreyfus Biodiesel plant in Claypool has expanded to produce new products from Indiana soybeans. The facility in NE Indiana is one of the largest soy biodiesel plants in the world and, since 2007, has been a major market for Indiana soybeans. One of the by-products of the soy methylester process is glycerin. A new facility at the plant will now refine that glycerin. According to Shawn Doyle, manager of North American oil seeds with Dreyfus, “We will now be able to process the crude glycerin on site into a quality level that will make it suitable for food products and other industrial products.” The plant is expected to produce about 80 million pounds a year and will be the second largest glycerin processing plant in the U.S. “The refinery in Claypool is being built with the best technology available,” said Tommy Malone, Louis Dreyfus Commodities’ head of North America. “We expect our plant to produce the highest-quality refined glycerin, meeting the needs of our growing customer network.”
Doyle says this will help increase their demand for soybeans and it was placed at the Claypool facility because we have a good supply of soybeans and a good market for glycerin, “Not only do we have good access to soybeans, but will be only a day’s truck drive from many of our glycerin customers.” The Claypool facility is on the Norfolk Southern railroad and will have the capability to load refined glycerin into trucks as well as tanker railcars. Louis Dreyfus Commodities has also leased specialized, lined tank cars to ship refined glycerin to customers and has built additional onsite storage capacity to support refinery operations.
Doyle says they are pleased with the way their operation has gone in Indiana, “We have enjoyed working with Indiana soybean farmers and look forward to even better times to come.” Civic and state agricultural leaders were present at the plant on Wednesday for a special grand opening ceremony.
“The refinery further strengthens our investment in the Claypool plant and provides high quality employment opportunities in agricultural processing for Kosciusko County,” Malone said. “Refined glycerin is present in a variety of industries worldwide, including personal care, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, chemical, and textiles. New applications for refined glycerin continue to be discovered, giving rise to a strong and growing glycerin market in the U.S., and we are prepared to meet these increasing demands.”