GEISMAR, La. (AP) — Chicken fat, beef tallow, pork lard and other animal oils are becoming diesel fuel at a new biofuels plant in Geismar.
Dynamic Fuels LLC is up and running, producing 2,500 barrels of diesel a day and growing, company officials reported Monday. The plant — a $160 million joint venture by Tyson Foods, of Springdale, Ark., and Syntroleum Corp., of Tulsa, Okla. — can produce up to 75 million gallons of biodiesel a year.
The plant's conversion ratio is about one-to-one, said Bob Ames, vice-president for renewable fuels at Tyson Foods Ames. "It's roughly, a gallon of chicken fat will give you a gallon of diesel," he said.
The owners bill Dynamic Fuels as the only plant of its kind in the country.
"Our U.S. plant is producing some of the highest quality diesel fuel in the world, and best of all, it is renewable with a carbon footprint 75 percent below that of petroleum diesel," said Gary Roth, chief executive officer of Syntroleum, in a news release.
Ames said the fuel is ready for locomotives and other off-road uses and Environmental Protection Agency certification for all uses is upcoming.
Dynamic Fuels is also developing jet fuel to be tested by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. "We look forward to working with the Air Force in its fuel certification program," said Ames.
Dynamic Fuels employs 44 fulltime workers and 13 part-time employees. The company received about $30 million in tax breaks from the Louisiana Commerce and Industry Board through a tax equalization agreement. Were it not for that deal, Tyson Foods and Syntroleum would have taken the start-up to Texas, company officials said at the time.
Construction on the plant began in August 2008. It originally was planned to open in August.
