A biodiesel plant that will make biodiesel from animal fats has broken ground in Louisiana.
This story from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette says that Tyson Foods, Inc. of Springdale, Arkansas and Syntroleum Corp. of Tulsa, Ok. have formed a joint venture called Dynamic Fuels with the biodiesel plant expected to open late next year in Geismar, La., just outside Baton Rouge:
The plant will use a patent-pending technology developed by Syntroleum to make high-grade biodiesel and jet fuels from Tyson-produced nonfood grade animal fats such as beef tallow, pork lard, chicken fat and greases, a news release from Tyson stated.
Jeff Webster, senior vice president and general manager of Tyson Foods’ renewable products group, said the demand for biofuels should remain steady despite recent reductions in the price of crude oil and refined gasoline.
Jeffrey Bigger, director of the Dynamic Fuels LLC management committee, said the plant is the first such fuel production facility in the United States.
The plant is expected to produce 75 million gallons of biodiesel a year., the news release states.
Just when I thought we would not get much on renewable energy in tonight’s presidential debate from Belmont University in Nashville, a question from the crowd has started the conversation in earnest. A lady asked if the candidates would take the same quick call-to-action approach to solve the looming global warming crisis as we saw in the recent financial crisis.
Presidential candidates Republican Sen. John McCain and Democrat Sen. Barack Obama are back at this evening, debating from the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn… and I’m here on my couch watching and listening carefully to what they say, paying special attention to what they say about renewable energy.
USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists are investigating the possibilities at the agency’s Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif.
Five Minnesota-based 
The plan was developed in response to President Bush’s call to change the way America fuels its transportation fleets in the 2007 State of the Union Address. The President’s “Twenty In Ten” goal calls for cutting U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years by investing in renewable and alternative fuel sources, increasing vehicle efficiency and developing alternative fuel vehicles.
Mascoma executives 
In February 2007, POET was selected by the DOE for a total award of up to $80 million in federal funding for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The first phase of the agreement was signed in October 2007 and provided POET with an initial $3.7 million for preliminary design, engineering and feedstock collection. The agreement announced today provides the remaining $76.3 million for final design, construction, start-up and continuous operation of Project LIBERTY. 
The Missouri Renewable Fuels Association, an organization comprised of Missouri’s six farmer-owned ethanol plants and the 
Millard, chairman of Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, Mo., assumed the new leadership responsibilities October 1. He succeeds John Eggleston, president of POET Biorefining-Macon and founding MoRFA president.