The facility has the capacity to produce 80 million tonnes per year.
The refinery is the second largest in the U.S. producing USP-grade kosher refined glycerin, with a capacity of 80 million pounds per year, according to the company.
Louis Dreyfus Company has been marketing crude glycerin, a co-product of the biodiesel process at Claypool, since the facility began operations in 2007. The addition of the new refinery allows the plant to process up to 100% of its crude glycerin production into kosher and halal certified USP food grade glycerin, with a minimum 99.7% purity.
“Our plant produces the highest-quality refined glycerin, meeting the increasing needs of our growing customer network and a glycerin market that is on the rise, as new applications for refined glycerin continue to be discovered across a variety of industries worldwide, including personal care, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, health care, automotive, chemical and textiles,” said Sean Doyle, regional head of oilseeds for North America at Louis Dreyfus Company.
Located approximately 100 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois, U.S., the Claypool facility is on the Norfolk Southern railroad and has the capability to load refined glycerin into trucks as well as tanker railcars. Louis Dreyfus Company also has leased specialized, lined tank cars to ship refined glycerin to customers, and built additional onsite storage capacity to support refinery operations.
“The refinery will help set the stage for further growth and employment in agricultural processing for Kosciusko County,” Doyle said. “We are excited about the benefits it will bring to the county and neighboring communities.”
