New Biodiesel Plant in Cleveland

John Davis

A new biodiesel refinery will open in downtown Cleveland in two weeks, and according to this article in the CantonRep.com, they’ll use soybean oil to make the biodiesel:

Center Alternative Energy, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Center Oil Co., will produce the biodiesel fuel in a storage terminal along the Cuyahoga River near downtown, refining soybean oil and blending it with traditional petroleum-based diesel, [John Samsel, president of Center Alternative Energy Co] said.

And it looks like the refinery is coming none too soon:

The city of Cleveland will use a 5 percent biodiesel blend in 10 to 15 percent of its diesel fleet starting May 1, said Andrew Watterson, Cleveland’s sustainability manager. A six-month monitoring program will test emissions and engine performance in 15 of those vehicles.

Officials say Cleveland was picked because of its access to rail lines, ports on Lake Erie, and the large customer base in that part of Ohio.

Biodiesel