By Brian Byrne, The Times
The nation's quest for a clean, efficient source of power is about to strike oil. And of all places, in the heart of Clinton County.
Indiana Clean Energy LLC, plans to break ground on a $90 million facility in Frankfort's industrial park within the next 60 days. When the plant is operational, it will process soybeans into a fuel that is cheaper and cleaner than gasoline.
Its ripple effect will mean jobs for the Clinton County workforce, higher wages, benefits for farmers and more tax revenues for the county.
The 80 million-gallon plant will be built on 40 acres at 2300 West County Road 00 North South, directly across from ADM Grain.
Murray Gingrich, the company's CEO, expects construction to be complete by April.
Once the plant is running, its emissions will be odorless and noiseless, Gingrich said, and thus will pose no environmental risk to the area. The waste product is organic fertilizer that will be sold to lawn product companies, he said.
"We do not pollute," he said, "and that's very beneficial to the community."
The company, based at 315 Kentwood Drive in Frankfort, was formed in September 2005. The plant will be the company's first.
ICE will hire county residents during and after construction, Gingrich said, for a variety of positions in sales, administration and line production when operations begin. Thirty-five high paying positions will be open when the plant begins operations, and more may become available after the company's planned expansion over the next years.
The plant also is good news for the Quadra Initiative, a Clinton County plan for environmental sustainability, economic development, energy independence - including the development of waste-to-energy techniques - and education.
Clinton County Chamber of Commerce CEO Gina Sheets, who directs the initiative, welcomes the amenities the plant may offer to the county, such as tax revenue and employment opportunities for residents.
"They are very community-conscious," Sheets said.
Added Gingrich, "We treat our people very well. We're a good neighbor."
Twenty percent of the state's soybean production is required for the plant to work at full strength, said Gingrich, and ADM will serve as the primary supplier.
Gingrich said ICE is open to forming working relationships with other area growers.
"Farmers are glad to see projects like this coming along," he said.
ICE has been involved in the community by supporting Clinton County's 4-H program and providing biodiesel information to county schools, Gingrich said.
"We're all Indiana people," Gingrich said.
Since the county Board of Zoning Appeals approved the project in June 2006, its progress has been mired by permit complications. Gingrich said the wait has made the upcoming construction date all the more exciting.
"We just can't wait to start pushing dirt," Gingrich said.
The site was chosen for its close proximity to ADM, the availability of railroad transportation and access to utilities.
But, Gingrich said, the project may have never gotten off the ground if not for the work of Sheets and other community leaders.
"Everybody's just been very helpful to work with," he said.
While the biodiesel plant is on the verge of reality, county officials will continue to explore options for the construction of a biorefinery to turn waste from the industrial park into renewable energy, said Sheets.
Methane produced during this process theoretically could be recycled for use at the biodiesel plant. However, the technique has been achieved only in laboratory settings. If the proposed Frankfort plant achieves it in a commercial setting, it will be the first in the world, Sheets said.
"We believe it can work," she said.
The biorefinery is meant as a selling point for food production plants, which produce a great deal of waste, Sheets said. The refinery would likely have a constant source of raw products, as long as food producers are around.
"People will continue to eat," she said.
But for their lofty goals, county officials are still looking for a company to build and operate the biorefinery. Sheets said interviews with potential firms are ongoing.
A tentative startup date for construction on the biorefinery has been set for next spring.