Biofuel plant to open in 2010
>> Saturday, December 26, 2009
A biofuel manufacturing plant will open in Thomaston in early 2010, bringing jobs with it.
“Georgia is striving to be a world leader in biofuels,” said Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue in a press release. “Our plentiful supply of raw materials to manufacture biofuels enables private industry to develop alternative energy technologies and create jobs. By opening their biorefinery plant, Diamond Alternative Energy and API (American Process Inc.) will further cement Georgia’s leadership in the alternative energy industry.”
Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, also said the plant is a good fit for Georgia because of the state’s abundance of raw materials needed to produce biofuels.
“The opening of this new facility in Thomaston represents Georgia’s continued growth in the alternative energy sector,” he said in the release.
According to the release, the plant will bring 25 to 30 jobs when it opens in the first quarter of 2010. As many as 10 of the jobs will be engineering positions in Atlanta; the remainder will be jobs at the plant itself.
“It’s going to be a demonstration plant that will show the technology behind creating biofuels out of cellulose,” said Bill Day, executive director for media relations at Valero Energy Corp., which owns Diamond Alternative Energy.
He said cellulose is found in wood pulp, grasses and other plant material. He emphasized that these are non-food sources of fuel.
“This is one of a series of investments that Valero has made in small companies that are working on technologies l ike this,” he said.
He said Valero is primarily a fuel company but has recently been investing in companies making renewable fuels such as API.
Thomaston Mayor Hays Arnold is glad the plant is coming to his city.
“I proudly welcome Diamond Alternative Energy and API as our newest corporate citizens, and look forward to the positive economic impact this new facility will have for our area,” he said in a press release.
In a later interview, Arnold said he expects to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony with state officials present when the plant officially opens. He said people are already being employed to help get the plant set up.
He said the plant will manufacture ethanol from wood chips rather than corn or soy, which is less controversial because it does not compete with human consumption of food crops.
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