Pleasanton, Calif.-based Fulcrum BioEnergy has selected Gary, Ind., for the location of its Centerpoint BioFuels Plant, which will convert municipal solid waste into low-carbon renewable transportation fuel.
Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and will take approximately 18-24 months to complete. Once operational, the Centerpoint plant will divert and process approximately 700,000 tons of waste from the Greater Chicago area.
The plant will process the waste, which will be converted off-site into a prepared feedstock, and produce approximately 33 million gallons of fuel annually. The facility is expected to generate hundreds of employment opportunities in the region, creating 160 full-time permanent jobs and 900 construction jobs.
“Launching our business in Indiana is an important next step in expanding Fulcrum’s capabilities to new cities rich in innovation and opportunity,” says Jim Macias, president and CEO of Fulcrum. “Fulcrum’s municipal solid waste-to-fuels process will help reduce the impacts from climate change and boost the economy by producing low-carbon transportation fuel as well as bringing high-paying jobs and investment to northwest Indiana.”
“Today is a great day for Gary and one that will have a significant impact on the city and surrounding communities for years to come,” adds Gov. Eric Holcomb, R-Ind. “The state’s strong roots in manufacturing, paired with an emerging tech sector, make Indiana the ideal destination for innovative companies like Fulcrum that are developing 21st-century solutions and changing the way we address today’s challenges. This new waste-to-fuel plant is a huge win for the City of Gary and for the Hoosier workforce across northwest Indiana.”
Fulcrum’s Centerpoint facility will be the company’s second waste-to-fuels plant. In late 2017, Fulcrum began construction on the Sierra BioFuels Plant, located near Reno, Nev.
