New Energy Blue, a clean-energy developer, and ARCO/Murray, a construction company, have partnered to build a biomass refinery in Mason City, Iowa. The refinery will convert agricultural waste into biofuels and biochemicals. ARCO/Murray will construct the facility, which is expected to create 400-500 construction jobs during the 20-month construction period and 70 permanent jobs once operational.
The partnership aims to build four more refineries in the next five years, leveraging the region’s abundant corn stover resources. The goal is to replace fossil oil and gas-refined fuels and chemicals with biomass-refined products. The partners predict exponential growth, with 15 refineries by 2030, 150 by 2040, and 500 by 2050.
The project is expected to have significant economic benefits, including creating indirect and induced jobs and contributing to local corn growers’ incomes. The refinery will also produce biofuels and biochemicals that can be used in various industries.
New Energy Blue has optimized its process through partnerships with European suppliers and has developed a design that can be replicated for future refineries. The project’s potential to reduce CO2 emissions is significant, with predictions suggesting that 500 refineries could remove over 130 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually.
Patrick Hidder, Executive Vice President of ARCO/Murray’s Green Infrastructure team, says, “We are excited to partner with New Energy Blue on this groundbreaking biomass refining project, reflecting our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation in the renewable energy sector. We welcome the opportunity to help launch a nascent industry dedicated to decarbonizing this country’s fuel and chemicals.”
