CLAYPOOL – Today Louis Dreyfus announced the official inauguration with a ribbon cutting for the new glycerin refinery at its soybean crushing and biodiesel plant.
The opening ceremony was attended by local officials and industry representatives. Featured speakers included opening remarks from Sean Doyle, LDC Regional Head of Oilseeds North America; Beth Bechdol, President of Agribusiness Council of Indiana; Brian Spaulding, Office of Jackie Walorski; and closing remarks from Bruce Chapin, LDC Regional Head of Industry North America.
The Tippecanoe Valley High School FFA members were on hand to help out with greeting the public and serving lunch.
The refinery is the second largest in the United States, producing USP-grade Kosher refined glycerin, with a capacity of 80 million pounds per year.
Louis Dreyfus Company has been marketing crude glycerin, a co-product of the biodiesel process at Claypool, since the facility began operations in 2007. The addition of the new refinery allows the plant to process up to 100% of its crude glycerin production into Kosher and halal certified USP food grade glycerin, with a minimum 99.7% purity.
“Our plant produces the highest-quality refined glycerin, meeting the increasing needs of our growing customer network and a glycerin market that is on the rise, as new applications for refined glycerin continue to be discovered across a variety of industries worldwide, including personal care, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, chemical and textiles,” said Sean Doyle.
The Claypool facility is on the Norfolk Southern Rail Road and has the capability to load refined glycerin into trucks as well as tanker railcars. Louis Dreyfus Company has also leased specialized, lined tank cars to ship refined glycerin to customers, and built additional onsite storage capacity to support refinery operations.
“The refinery will help set the stage for further growth and employment in agricultural processing for Kosciusko County,” continued Doyle. “We are excited about the benefits it will bring to the County and neighboring communities”.
