$75 million biodiesel facility will be built in Walla Walla

A $75 million biodiesel facility will be built in Walla Walla, officials with Chemical Consortium (ChemCon) Holdings Inc. said Tuesday.

The facility will be built at the Port of Walla Walla's Burbank Industrial Park and will produce 200,000 tons, or 60 million gallons, of biodiesel fuel each year, ChemCon said. ChemCon will sign a 30-year lease after conducting due diligence on the site, officials added.

ChemCon officials said that they'll take advantage of canola grown in the area, which they said was "the best feedstock for this type of facility."

"This location ... will allow transportation from sea, rail and truck. It also provides close proximity to the fuel terminals in Seattle and Portland," said J. Greig, CEO of Chemical Consortium Holdings, in a statement.

When completed, the facility will employ "approximately 30" employees.

Published May 23, 2006 by the Puget Sound Business Journal