Memphis' growing biofuels industry

[Bears]

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial/...d.aspx?id=93653

Didn't really know about this. It's not a huge part of our economy now, but look out in the future.

[AmandaHugginkiss]

This will most definitely be a big part of Memphis' economy. I didn't have time to read the whole article, did it say anything about how big the plant will be?

[Clobber]

There were three separate companies discussed.

Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC (starting with 5 mill gall/yr, employing 9)

Memphis Biofuels LLC (expanding by 36 million gall/yr, expandable to 100 mill)

Mean Green Biofuels (of Georgia) building $55 mill plant on President's Island, starting at 90 mill gall/yr, expandable to 135 mill, employing 50.

2 plants preexisting in Arkansas (Patriot Biofuels and Eastman Chem).

Excerpt:

Sheley said he would like to see Memphis become a hub for biodiesel production and distribution. The area has several logistical advantages over other cities, including Interstate 40, Interstate 55 and the planned Interstate 69, he said. Also, Memphis Biofuels' facility is near the two Illinois Central and three Norfolk Southern rail lines.

"It makes for a great logistical area for distribution of the product and use of the product," Sheley said.

...

HOpefully we become a center for this kind of energy production, and maybe it triggers other energy research here, especially with our community's industrial reliance on transportation. We are well-placed for this new tech industry, sort of maybe a spinoff of biomedical?

[northernbizzkit1]

i'm out of town, so i only had time to get on here and skim the article...perhaps (pertaining to the who would be the next big 4 of the south thread on the main USA SOUTH forum) this will make Memphis the next Houston or Dallas by making it a big fuel city.

[Bears]

I like the idea of MATA considering to use biofuels. If America won't stop relying on fossil fuels, Memphis will

[Rural King]

All of West Tennessee is becoming a hotspot for the Bio-Fuel industry. Mean Green is putting a Bio-Diesel plant in Gibson County, a very large ethanol plant is going into Obion County, a ethanol plant is going into Fulton Co. (KY) just north of the Obion Co. line, and one or possibly two bio-fuel plants are looking at the coming Cates Landing industrial park and riverport in Lake County. All of this in addition to what is going on in Memphis and Arkansas.

So on the whole this entire region seems to be posed to become a center for the production of bio-fuels. Which is awesome IMO. First we had cotton, now we have bio-fuels. "King Ethanol" perhaps?

[Hankster]

All of West Tennessee is becoming a hotspot for the Bio-Fuel industry. Mean Green is putting a Bio-Diesel plant in Gibson County, a very large ethanol plant is going into Obion County, a ethanol plant is going into Fulton Co. (KY) just north of the Obion Co. line, and one or possibly two bio-fuel plants are looking at the coming Cates Landing industrial park and riverport in Lake County. All of this in addition to what is going on in Memphis and Arkansas.

So on the whole this entire region seems to be posed to become a center for the production of bio-fuels. Which is awesome IMO. First we had cotton, now we have bio-fuels. "King Ethanol" perhaps?

This is very good news. I'm a big proponent of biofuels, especially biodiesel and ethanol. Their time has come, and it's good for America. I hope one day we can be as successful as Brasil in the production and distribution of biofuels. Despite not having any significant oil deposits, Brasil does not have to import oil, thanks mainly to sugar cane produced ethanol.