Eric North/Daily Reporter

The Morristown Industrial Park soon will be home to the state’s first production facility for soy biodiesel fuels.

A former lumber warehouse at the park will be transformed into a plant that will turn 6.7 million bushels of soybeans into the solution that is added to extend diesel fuels and eventually could replace petroleum-base diesel.

“It is great for everyone because there will now be an all new market for the area’s soybeans,” said Dan Theobald of the Shelby County Economic Development Corporation.

The plant, announced this morning, will be fitted and operated by Integrity Biofuels, a company set up by Grammer Industries, which is based in Bartholomew County, just east of Columbus.

Integrity officials were unavailable for comment this morning, but the plant will employ up to seven people according to information provided by the company during the announcement. The plant also will require an initial investment of at least $10 million in equipment.

Grammer Industries is in the business of trucking agricultural goods but its owner was looking for other ventures according to Theobald.

“They hope to be up and running and delivering product in early 2006,” said Belinda Puetz, marketing director of the Indiana Soybean Board, which helped the company get its start up and helped make the announcement today.

Puetz said work could begin soon to set up the plant and get it into operation. She said Morristown is a good location for such a facility because it is in the middle of a large farming area.

“With Bunge North America's soybean processing plant in the industrial park, there is a ready-made supply of soybean oil that can be used in the process,” she said.

She said the fuel is made by mixing soybean oil with methanol and other catalysts.

“The mixture gives off the soy biodiesel and glycerin. The biodiesel, which is about 99 percent of the byproduct, is now mixed with petroleum-based diesel and the glycerin is sold to companies that make soaps and other products,” said Puetz.

The mixing process with diesel fuel will be completed at another facility according to Puetz.

Officials report Indiana is the third largest soybean producing state and that the Bunge plant is one of the largest crushing facilities in the state.

Theobald said details of the plant would be unveiled tonight for the Morristown Town Council where the company would be asking for tax abatement on the equipment to be installed in the plant.
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