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Prairie Pride anticipates first gallon of biodiesel production in a few days
Prairie Pride’s biodiesel plant is soon expecting to produce its first gallon of soybean oil based fuel.
Originally scheduled for July, the plant startup is highly anticipated by the company’s board. “The board is very excited to launch the bio-diesel plant,” Prairie Pride vice chairman and chairman of public relations Kevin Fischer said, “and we look forward to the soybean crush plant being operational.”
Fischer explained weather was one of the biggest factors in the delay.
“We had about 40 missed days due to rain,” said Fischer, “but we are looking to launch in seven or eight days.”
The long-awaited startup is the culmination of a process that began in 2005, when Prairie Pride unveiled its plan to construct the $72 million plant, a coop 100-percent owned by producers, which aims to eventually produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel a year from 21 million bushes of soybeans, as well as millions of pounds of soybean meal.
In August 2006, a groundbreaking ceremony was attended by more than 200 people, among them State Rep. Barney Fisher and U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton. Both expressed hope that renewable fuel sources such as biodiesel could reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
Skelton said at the time, “It’s important that this country become energy independent, it’s imperative that this country become energy independent. The Middle East is a cauldron, Russia is becoming a bigger supplier. They can hold us hostage. We need to wean ourselves off of foreign oil. America has done many difficult things and this is a difficult thing but we can do it.”
The final portion of the refinery, to be completed around February or March 2008, will be the crush plant. This facility will crush the raw soybeans to extract the oil used in refining.
According to Fischer the factory will use purchased oil until the plant is finished.
Currently employing around 23 workers, the plant will be able to house between 45 and 50 workers after the crush plant is built, adding staff as needed throughout the process.
According to Fischer, after the entire plant is operational railways will be responsible for about 60 percent of the fuel and soybean delivery leaving around 40 percent to be delivered by truck. MN&A will be the rail used for about the first year, then to be joined by Kansas City Southern Rail.
Prairie Pride also announced recently that American Energy Producers, Inc. will be looking to break ground on the second biodiesel plant in Missouri. AEPI will open their plant on a site about nine miles north of Carrollton, in northwest Missouri. Referred to as PPI’s sister company AEPI will offer the same service but on a larger scale, producing 50 million gallons of fuel a year, compared to PPI’s 30 million gallons. AEPI plans to have a ground breaking ceremony some time in November.