Renewable Energy Group holds ribbon cutting for biorefinery in Wisconsin

Renewable Energy Group, Inc. celebrated the formal opening of the newest addition to its fleet of biorefineries on April 26, with a ribbon cutting at REG Madison.

REG officials were joined by state and local business, government and community leaders for the ceremony recognising the transition to REG’s ownership of the 20-million gallon per year nameplate capacity biodiesel refinery formerly owned by Sanimax Energy.

“We are dedicated to producing cleaner, lower carbon intensity products and this celebration is another example of our commitment to environmental stewardship and energy security,” said REG President & CEO Daniel Oh.

The event also served as a groundbreaking for approximately USD 7 million of additional investment in the biorefinery. The upgrades include process improvements, a dedicated entrance for the plant, additional biodiesel storage and locker rooms for the team.

“These upgrades will allow the plant to run more efficiently and optimize our production and logistics capabilities,” said Brad Albin, vice president, manufacturing.

REG, which is headquartered in Ames, Iowa, now has 11 active North American biomass-based diesel refineries in seven states (Iowa (3), Illinois (2), Texas (2), Louisiana, Minnesota, Washington state and Wisconsin (1 each), with a combined nameplate production capacity of 452 million gallons. The company also has a majority ownership of German biodiesel producer Petrotec’s two biorefineries.