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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana is positioned to create hundreds of well-paying jobs while reducing our carbon footprint, even in the midst of the current health crisis.
Construction of a facility that can turn trash into advanced transportation fuels is slated to begin next year in Gary. Not only will the project create hundreds of construction jobs, it also will create permanent jobs for local residents and put Indiana on the map when it comes to advanced environmental innovation and eco-friendly fuels.
How does it work? An advanced biofuel company in Indiana has partnered with refineries to convert trash into renewable diesel and jet fuel, using a two-step process. First, processing facilities near landfills turn garbage into a biofuel feedstock called a “bio-intermediate.” Next, the bio-intermediate is driven to a partnering facility that leverages existing petroleum infrastructure to co-process the new liquid into advanced, renewable fuels. From utilizing trash that would have taken decades to decay, or eliminating the expense of burning, to leveraging existing production processes to produce eco-friendly fuels, the whole process would be an all-around win for Indiana. Except for one roadblock.
In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency included a pathway for bio-intermediates in its proposed rulemaking, but this rule has yet to be finalized. Indiana’s facility is just the tipping point of what could well become an industry-wide shift toward bio-intermediate sustainable fuels, creating hundreds of jobs, and significantly reducing America’s carbon footprint. With the processes in place and the rule already written, the EPA just needs to conclude this process by finalizing and approving the production, shipment, and use of bio-intermediates.
It would be good to see Indiana as a leader in this process!
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J. Scott Keller
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