BPI will invest in the venture, as well as supply the tallow, BPI corporate administrator Rich Jochum told Meatingplace.com. Once at full capacity, other meatpacking plants would probably provide additional feedstocks
The plant, which is expected to employ 36 workers, will occupy a 10-acre site just north of the BPI plant. Plans call for tallow to flow from the beef plant to the biodiesel plant through an above-ground pipe. The plant is also expected to produce 55 million pounds of glycerin annually.
This is BPI’s first direct involvement with a biodiesel venture. Jochum said while it was possible that some of the biodiesel fuel could someday be used to power BPI’s beef plant, that prospect had not been factored into the development of the facility at this time.
