JAMESTOWN, N.D. — The refined soybean oil produced at the Green Bison Soy Processing facility is expected to support approximately 75 million gallons of annual renewable diesel production, according to Mike Keller, president of Green Bison Soy Processing.
The refined soybean oil will be supplied exclusively to Marathon Petroleum Corp. as a feedstock for renewable diesel.
Green Bison Soy Processing is a 75%-25% venture between Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Marathon Petroleum Corp., respectively. The $350 million soybean processing facility will be located at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park about 10 miles east of Jamestown.
The Green Bison Soy Processing facility is North Dakota’s first-ever dedicated soybean crushing plant and refinery and is expected to be online by the 2023 harvest season, Keller said in an email to The Jamestown Sun. When complete the facility will feature state-of-the-art technology and is expected to have the capacity to process 150,000 bushels of soybeans per day.
“The construction activities at our Green Bison Soy Processing facility in Spiritwood, N.D., remain robust with hundreds of contractors performing multiple tasks on a daily basis,” he said. “As we advance into the new year it is exciting to recognize the weekly progress as we prepare for a harvest 2023 commission.”
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Once construction is complete, the facility is expected to employ approximately 75 people.
“The construction of our new complex has supported hundreds of jobs in the region,” he said.
Keller said demand for renewable diesel fuel is rapidly growing with the need for lower carbon and more sustainable products. He said the rapidly-growing demand for renewable diesel fuel is one the fundamental trends underlying Green Bison Soy Processing’s strategy and purpose.
The Green Bison Soy Processing facility is a “terrific” project because it will add value to agricultural products, which is a major industry in the Stutsman County area and in North Dakota, said Corry Shevlin, CEO of the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. He said the project will add more jobs locally and across the state and will offer a local market for soybean producers.
He said 100% of the refined soybean oil will be delivered to Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Dickinson, North Dakota, for the production of renewable diesel. The facility will source soybeans locally from North Dakota farmers.
“This facility is a great example of in-state collaboration and connecting the ag and energy industries,” he said.
Keller said the partnership between ADM and Marathon is critical to advancing each company’s strategy while creating supply-chain efficiencies and providing a high-quality product to the end consumer.
Additionally, Keller said the demand for animal protein is also growing, as is the need for soybean meal to support animal feed production with the rise of the global population.
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“This is a growing market overall, and ADM is well-positioned to meet these needs with our vast transportation, origination and processing footprint,” he said. “The Spiritwood complex is a great addition to that network, and we are very excited to commission Spiritwood during the harvest of 2023.”
Keller said some soybean meal produced in Spiritwood will be sold to export markets, but Green Bison Soy Processing is also working with local industry associations, university Extension services and other partners to help increase the local animal agriculture production market and demand for soybean meal.
Farmers interested in establishing an account with Green Bison Soy Processing can contact its grain origination team at 1-800-475-4291 or GBSP@GreenBisonSoyProcessing.com. Green Bison Soy Processing will request standard information specific to each customer before conducting business, which could take up to 24 hours to finalize.
Keller said the facility will provide year-round competitive local destination for the region’s soybean producers.
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