It seems like the big cities on the East Coast have just about everything… except for a big source for biodiesel. Well, that could change soon as New York-based Berkshire Biodiesel builds New England’s biggest biodiesel plant.
This story in the Hartford Courant says the 50-million-gallon-a-year plant is expected to open next year near Pittsfield, Mass. and will make biodiesel from vegetable oil:
Currently, the only New England biodiesel plants are in Bridgewater and Bethlehem, Conn., both of which produce about 500,000 gallons a year, according to the National Biodiesel Board.
But (Berkshires Biodiesel President Garth) Klimchuk said it made sense to open a large-scale plant in New England because so much vegetable oil is delivered to the region’s restaurants and food processing facilities.
“It’s easy to get the supplies we need here, and there’s a huge demand for biodiesel in this area,” Klimchuk said.
Berkshire Biodiesel would be sold within 200 miles of the refinery, covering the cities of Boston, Hartford, Burlington, Vt., and Albany.