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Imperium to Build 100M Gallon-per-Year Biodiesel Plant in Washington
10 May 2006
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| The Imperium Biodiesel plant location in Grays Harbor is outlined in red. Click to enlarge. |
Imperium Renewables, the parent company of Seattle Biodiesel, announced that it will build a 100-million gallon per year biodiesel plant in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The new plant will produce ASTM-certified biodiesel fuel mainly from soybean, canola oil and other extracts.
The plant will be one of the largest in the US, and Imperium will thereby become one of the largest alternative fuel producers in the US. Total US biodiesel production in 2005 was 75 million gallons, according to the National Biodiesel Board.
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| Layout of Imperium Grays harbor Production Facility |
The plant will sit on land currently owned by the Port of Grays Harbor between the towns of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA. Construction will begin in July 2006, with the facility expecting to be operational sometime in summer of 2007.
Imperium will bring in feedstock by both rail and ship. It has access to a deepwater pier for inbound ships, a barge terminal for outbound shipments, as well as a rail facility that supports unit trains (120-car trains).
We feel our strong point is our logistic flexibility. We can bring the most cost-effective oils from anywhere in the world using ocean freight economics as well as from the Midwest via unit trains. We also have the ability to distribute the finished product to all points up and down the US and Canadian West Coast via barge. Inland destinations can be reached via train and truck (though trains will be used predominantly).
—Brian Young, Director of Business Development, Imperium Renewables
Imperium Renewables currently owns the largest biodiesel operation in the West, Seattle Biodiesel, which is located in Seattle not far from Safeco Field. Current capacity at that plant is 5 million gallons of biodiesel each year. The company plans further expansion both domestically and internationally.
These are exciting times. As petroleum prices increase and global warming becomes more of a threat, people are paying attention.
As a company, we feel strongly that the growth in biofuels—particularly biodiesel—has only just begun. Capacity in this country will more than double this year alone, and next year we’ll see an unprecedented increase.
Imperium Renewables is focused on continuing to develop our refining processes to provide a cleaner burning fuel, to bring the cost of our products lower and to make it more readily available to fleet managers as well as, eventually, to the consumer.
—John Plaza, founder and President of Imperium Renewables
Imperium Renewables is the first biodiesel focused company in the United States to be funded by Venture Capital and has received Venture funding from the leading funds in the US, Nth Power, Technology Partners and Vulcan Capital.
May 10, 2006 in Biodiesel | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack (1)
Comments
Posted by: yp | May 10, 2006 at 07:43 PM
the trucking industry and metro transits consume a lot of diesel and would love to have stable prices for their fuel. See the article on this site about VW diesel sales in this country. They're on the up and up.
Posted by: Tripp | May 10, 2006 at 08:42 PM
And once again I'm ahead of the curve.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | May 10, 2006 at 09:56 PM
From memory:
80 million gallons in Indiana
85 million gallons in South Dakota
100 million gallons in Washington.
96 million gallons in Oregon
And, maybe, 1.5 billion gallons in Texas (I'm skeptical about that one).
Not counting the last plant, that's a grand total of 361 million gallons of biodiesel per year in just four facilities. That's 8.6 million barrels per year, or 23,600 per day. About what a decent oil field will produce.
This is great news. But damn. I hope there's feedstock.
Posted by: Cervus | May 10, 2006 at 11:07 PM
BioDoom?
If I set Government policy, Biofuel would be targeted on items that have no forseeable replacement: Jet engines, Tanks and heavy equipment.Otherwise, the Military and civilians would eventually be fighting over food and fuel.
And we don't want that!
A quicky search shows US comsumes 110Bil gals/yr gas and 56 bill for Diesel. So EVEN IF everyone switched to hybrids and consummed 1/2, US would still need about 80Bil gals total/yr. So we would still need 200 more plants!
And I won't go near the topic if Biofuel is a Net positive energy source.
Well, there is always coal. And since we have to dig up mother earth ANYWAY to mine the precious metals going into alternative energy devices, might as well keep digging in the present coal mines!
Posted by: tonychilling | May 10, 2006 at 11:47 PM
And once again I'm ahead of the curve.
Everyone toss roses. A god walks among us.
Posted by: Joseph Willemssen | May 11, 2006 at 12:20 AM
Its not realy all that amazing realy. Oil companies ar sure now that they can make money off these new fuel sources and are investing starter funds to tes out the various methods available.
The real thunder will happen when they stttle on a proven prime method and go full bore.
Posted by: wintermane | May 11, 2006 at 07:32 AM
Another fools gold on the market!! Sorry to say but biofuels are not going to reduce the cost of fuels nor is it the viable alternative to oil!! you fools keep thinking that bio's are going to somehow save the day, I'll deal with reality!!
Posted by: reno | May 11, 2006 at 08:10 AM
I want my money back. My econ professor told me increasing supply would decrease price, but reno tells me, "biofuels are not going to reduce the cost of fuels." I was so mislead.
JRod.
Posted by: JRod. | May 11, 2006 at 08:49 AM
I want my money back. My econ professor told me increasing supply would decrease price
Did your econ professor mention that demand needs to stay constant for price to decrease, and that that simple model is an ideal (eg, the supplier could simply increase profits instead of lowering prices)?
Posted by: Joseph Willemssen | May 11, 2006 at 09:47 AM
You mean like Exxon-Mobil did?
Posted by: Lucas | May 11, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Food -> Fuel = Bad!
Waste -> Fuel = Good!
As was pointed out above, 100 million gal/year ~ 6,500 bbl/d or ~ 0.03% of current US consumption (~20 million bbl/d). Big Whooppee!
Hint: As long as they quote production numbers in gal/year, they are not making a dent.
Posted by: An Engineer | May 11, 2006 at 05:12 PM
To those who can do nothing, nothing can be done.
To to those who are willing to try, anything is possable.
To start something great takes courage and determination but to sit and moan is the way of weaklings and cowards who will never risk being wrong and will never experience nor admit success.
If you will not or cannot, then get out of the way because those who will and can are going to run over you. Then you will have good reason to sit and moan over your own foolishness and those who did, will have a good laugh...at you.
Posted by: The Bow Shot | May 11, 2006 at 08:31 PM
I with you bow shot.....
Posted by: jim | May 17, 2006 at 07:16 PM
To Bow Shot: ROGER THAT
Posted by: Dennis Lawler | August 24, 2006 at 06:55 AM
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Tracked on May 11, 2006 12:12:58 AM
Nice to see they've taken the initiative but as long as America lives in blissful ignorance of the diesel market revolution that has taken over the rest of the globe, seems all in vain...
...any comments ?