ADM and Marathon Petroleum Corp. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 14 to celebrate the opening of their joint venture soybean processing facility at Spiritwood, North Dakota.
Green Bison Soy Processing is the state’s first soybean-specific processing complex, and a major step towards meeting increased demand for renewable diesel, the companies say.
The facility — located approximately 290km (175 miles) south of the Canada-U.S. border — will bring significant new regional demand for soybeans to the Northern Plains, as it’s designed to process 150 thousand bushels per day.
Refined oil from the Green Bison crush plant and refinery will be supplied exclusively to Marathon as feedstock for renewable diesel. The facility is projected to produce 600 million pounds of soybean oil annually — enough to produce an estimated 75 million gallons of renewable diesel per year.
“The continued growth in demand for renewable green diesel presents a transformative opportunity for the oilseed industry, for producers, and for increasing the sustainability footprint of our transportation system, and we’re proud to join with Marathon Petroleum as leaders in that transformation,” said Greg Morris, president of ADM’s Ag Services and Oilseeds business. “We’re excited for the start of production and look forward to working together to support sustainable solutions for the food and fuel industries.”
The plant, which received its first loads of soybeans in September and is currently in the commissioning phase, is also expected to generate 1.28 million tons of soybean meal annually.
Green Bison is 75 per cent-owned by ADM, with Marathon owning the other 25 per cent.
Past coverage:
ADM to build soybean crush plant and refinery at Spiritwood, North Dakota
