Just as Imperium Renewables is set to open the nation’s biggest biodiesel refinery with a 100-million-gallon-a-year plant in Washington state, there could be a contender out there that will produce three times as much annually.

This story on Inside Greentech.com says California-based SE-Energy has announced plans to build a 320-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel refinery at Chesapeake, Virginia:

To be situated on the southern branch of the Elizabeth River and operate around the clock, the Virginia Point Biodiesel facility planned by SE (“Smiling Earth”) Energy [ed.: a company with the most unusual logo we’ve seen in a long time] is expected to cost $532 million, all of which has already been financed, the company claims.

Proximity to major military bases was a main draw for locating in Chesapeake, as the company hopes to count the military among its future customers. But SE says it already has off-take agreements for its entire production.

SE Energy officials say their process doesn’t produce wastewater or any air emissions.

Groundbreaking is planned for this summer with completion in early 2008.