West-Central Missouri is about to become home to an algae-biodeisel refinery… the first of its kind in this nation.
This story from the Marshall (MO) Democrat-News says commissioners of Saline County, Missouri have signed a resolution and intend to issue $141 million in bonds to help Green Star Products Inc.’s EcoAlgae USA build a commercial algae production facility in conjunction with an integrated biorefinery complex:
The EcoAlgae project will involve algae production at the heart of this biorefinery complex because its high production biomass feedstock only requires sunlight, CO2 and brackish or saltwater.
“(This will be) the first facility of its type in the nation,” said Marshall-Saline Development Corporation Executive Director Roy Hunter, the man who spearheaded this project. “It’s going to bring national recognition to Saline County as a renewable fuels region.”
“(This) should make us a home base for research and advanced renewable fuels in the future.”
“The biorefinery will be the first of its kind and will incorporate all the technologies to produce oil, cattle feed, electricity, biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol and steam,” the company said in a press release.
EcoAlgae must come up with an economic development plan, as well as getting the proper permits and complying with state laws before the bonds will be issued. That process, including some public comment time, could take 60 to 90 days.