Tyson and Syntroleum formed Dynamic Fuels in 2007 as a 50/50 joint venture. (Earlier post.) The Geismar facility, completed in 2010, was the first large scale renewable diesel biorefinery built in the US.

Under the terms of the agreement, a REG subsidiary will acquire Tyson Foods’ 50% membership interest in Dynamic Fuels by paying Tyson approximately $18 million in cash at closing and up to $35 million in future payments tied to production volume at the Geismar biorefinery over a period of up to eleven and a half years.

REG will also fund repayment of approximately $12 million of Dynamic Fuels’ indebtedness to Tyson at closing.

Selling our interest in Dynamic Fuels to REG provides capital for Tyson to redeploy into other opportunities. REG is a long-term customer of ours, buying fats, oils and greases to make renewable fuel, and we hope to continue that relationship.

—Andrew Rojeski, Vice President-Renewable Energy for Tyson Foods

A portion of the development and construction of the Geismar biorefinery was funded by $100 million in Gulf Opportunity Zone Bonds, issued through the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority. Closing of the acquisition from Tyson Foods is conditioned on REG’s replacement of the letter of credit Tyson Foods obtained to support issuance of the bonds or completion of a financing sufficient to refinance the bonds prior to 31 December 2014 on terms acceptable to REG.

REG may seek to use existing cash on hand and/or one or more financing vehicles, including public or private debt or equity, to satisfy this condition. Closing is also subject to satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

REG currently owns eight operating biodiesel refineries in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas that have a combined annual nameplate production capacity of 257 million gallons. With the addition of the Geismar facility, the company’s total advanced biofuel annual nameplate production capacity would increase to 332 million gallons.