JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Synergy at all levels was the focus of all speakers during the groundbreaking of the Green Bison Soy Crushing plant at the Spiritwood Energy Park Thursday, June 2nd.
The $350 million dollar facility will be able to process up to 150,000 bushels of soybeans per day and supply vegetable oil as feedstock for MPC’s renewable diesel refinery in Dickinson. This will produce up to 75 million gallons of renewable diesel annually.
The Green Bison plan is expected to be online for the 2023 harvest.
Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC) Development Director Corry Shevlin said the partnership between Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Marathon Petroleum was vital to making the project work.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum stated the project would align with the state’s goal of value-added agriculture while promoting growth between agriculture and energy.
U.S. Senator John Hoeven gave his congratulations and pointed to the different levels of partnership from local to federal and everything in between that brought the project to fruition.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer stated that the project was an example of what can happen when people and companies invest in North Dakota; growth.
U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong states that there have been “frictions” created between energy and agriculture. He points out that a project like the Green Bison Soy Crushing facility helps to address that by benefiting both sectors in North Dakota.
Mayor Dwaine Heinrich says the JSDC has been a conduit of growth for both the city and county, helping to further spur projects like this in the Spiritwood Energy Park.
Dave Heppner, Marathon Petroleum Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, says this project was a great reminder of their commitment to growing production in North Dakota.
He says the partnership with ADM was crucial to making Green Bison Soy Processing work.
Ken Campbell, President of NA Oils, Biodiesel & Glycols for ADM, echoed the cooperative effort it took between ADM and Marathon Petroleum and the other levels to bring about the facility.
You can listen to the entire groundbreaking presentation below:
