The Renewable Energy Group (REG) just hated to see the 30 million gallon capacity biodiesel plant standing idle near Albert Lea, Minnesota for the past three years, so the company decided to do something about it.
“It’s a great plant that needed to run,” Brad Albin, REG Vice President of Manufacturing, said at the plant’s re-opening on Monday. “It had no where to go but was a jewel just sitting here ready to run.”
REG originally built the plant in 2005 for SoyMor, which ran it for three years before shutting down in 2008. “We’re very lucky to have brought this plant up within about four weeks,” said Albin. “It was actually the largest 30 million gallon plant years ago and what’s great about it is that it’s highly efficient and we’ve already got it up to just about 90% throughput.”
Since Minnesota has a state requirement for biodiesel blends, Albin says it was important to get the plant back on line. “Minnesota is a great user of biodiesel so it was just natural that we build it, we’d run it, get back and get it going again,” he said of the plant which uses soybean oil as its primary feedstock.
Listen to or download interview with Brad Albin here. REG VP Brad Albin