Biodiesel is now available via truck and rail from the Renewable Energy Group’s (REG) newly acquired Minnesota production facility, REG Albert Lea, LLC. The first truckload of biodiesel was picked up August 25 for the Trail’s Travel Center truck stop in Albert Lea along I-35.

REG VP Gary Haer says customers have the option to pick up either B99 or B100 at the 30 million gallon per year facility. “We are offering REG-9000/1 biodiesel ideal for harvest tank fills and meeting demand created by Minnesota’s B5 requirement and the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2),” said Haer.

REG bought the former SoyMor Biodiesel plant in July, after the plant had been idled since 2008. REG was the general contractor and manager for the refined vegetable oil feedstock biodiesel plant which originally began production in April 2005. Officials hope to upgrade the facility to process a wide variety of lower cost natural fats and oils including used cooking oil, inedible corn oil from ethanol production, and high free fatty acid materials.

REG is the largest biodiesel producer in the United States and the REG Albert Lea facility brings their total owned/operated capacity to more than 210 million gallons.

In the photo, supplied by REG, Trails Travel is the first fill for REG Albert Lea – left to right, Steve Klingman, General Manager, Trail’s Travel Center, Albert Lea, Minn; Myron Danzer, General Manager, REG Albert Lea, REG; Rocky Trail, owner, Trail’s Travel Center; Tom Schroeder, Biodiesel Sales Manager, REG; Debbie Morgan, Trail’s Travel Center; Bob Knutson, Knutson Oil, Glenville, Minn (biodiesel hauler)