ATP-SC, LLC and Midlands Biofuels to Grow Bio-Crops in Allendale, SC

ALLENDALE, SC –  ATP-SC, LLC and Midlands Biofuels jointly announced today their innovative collaboration to grow bio-crops, as well as produce, sell, and utilize solid and liquid bio-fuels to expand the state’s bio-economy. This effort will start in Allendale, South Carolina and expand across the state.

This announcement is made on National Bio-Energy Day, which provides an opportunity to showcase bio-energy facilities and the bio-energy supply chain around the United States.  The US Department of Energy will celebrate National Bio-Energy Day with an educational display about the bio-energy supply chain and the bio-economy in the lobby of the Energy Department’s Forrestal building, in downtown Washington, D.C.

ATP-SC, LLC, an Allendale-based operating affiliate of Columbia-based Agri-Tech Producers, LLC (ATP) was founded Joe James. The company is developing a pilot torrefaction plant at 1624 Bluff Road, in Allendale. The plant will convert plant and wood material (“biomass”) into a variety of bio-products, including a clean and renewable bio-coal, which is co-fired in coal-burning electric plants, with minimal alterations, to help reduce carbon and chemical pollution.

Midlands Biofuels, owned by Joe Renwick, converts waste cooking oil into a cleaner and renewable biodiesel fuel and has just begun its waste oil collections in Allendale.  “Bio-Joe Renwick” recently asked “Torre-Joe James” if he would grow canola, an oilseed crop, so that Midlands would have an increasing supply of cooking oil that it could sell to the restaurants from which it collected waste cooking oil.

Torre-Joe had already leased a 40-acre farm field, immediately adjacent to its Allendale pilot plant, with the intention of growing biomass sorghum, next spring.  However, Bio-Joe’s request created an opportunity for Torre-Joe to immediately put his idle acreage to work, growing canola, a winter crop, while still planting his bio-crop, in the spring.

The two Joes are hopeful that this small collaboration will inspire similar and larger collaborations across the state, where farmers can both grow canola, for BioJoe and bio-crops, for Torre-Joe, on the same farm.  Like Torre-Joe, participating farmers can purchase bio-diesel, for use in their tractors, at a $1 discount from Bio-Joe, for a limited time, and also benefit from added revenues from two crop rotations on a field, per year.

Both Joe’s are members of the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance, which is a cooperative enterprise tasked with building a broad-based business alliance that fosters the development of a clean energy industry in the state and Torre-Joe is a founding member of the state’s Biomass Council, which believes that South Carolina can use its abundant biomass resources to be energy independent and generate a reliable, affordable, and green source of power, cleanly and efficiently.

Torrefaction is a carbonization process that takes place at temperatures between 250 – 500º in a low-oxygen environment, which makes the physical and energy properties of the biomass much more comparable to traditional coal. The biomass is then made into pellets or briquettes and this bio-coal is sold to end users or in other forms to be used as biochar.  ATP-SC’s $3.65 million, Allendale pilot plant will produce roughly 13,000 tons of torrefied material per year, which will be made into bio-coal and other products..

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be used in any diesel engine without modification.  Winnsboro, SC is home to Midlands Biofuels, a green company dedicated to making biodiesel from local waste vegetable oil.  The SC Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) recently awarded Midlands with its 2nd Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant.  The grant allows Midlands Biofuels to provide biodiesel fuel, across SC at a discounted price, to increase biodiesel use through competitive market pricing.

The advantages of using biodiesel are increased performance and power, and decreased cancer-causing emissions and particulates.  With 86% less emissions (compared to regular petro-diesel), you can breathe easy knowing biodiesel is being used in your area. The result is less reliance on imported fuel (SC imports 98% of its diesel and gasoline fuels), and generation of funds for the county and local school systems.

Midlands Biofuel collects waste cooking oil from hundreds of the state’s restaurants, businesses, colleges, schools, and recycling centers.  Allendale County recently contracted with Midlands Biofuels to start the “BIO4EDU” oil collection program in their recycling centers on National Bio-Energy Day.

This unique program allows Allendale County residents the opportunity to recycle their waste cooking oil rather than pouring it down the drain or in the back yard like many southerners have been known to do.  Recycling waste oil benefits the county operating budget by decreasing grease-related problems in the sewers and storm water run-off.  With every gallon recycled in the county, one gallon of Biodiesel can be produced.  Last year Midlands donated almost $3k to the Richland Lexington School District 5 with the BIO4EDU program.

The connection between Torre-Joe and Bio-Joe was facilitated by the AgStrong Solio Family Canola Project, an endeavor active in 9 states and numerous counties in South Carolina.  AgStrong Solio Family Canola is certified Non-GMO and the oil is pressed through a natural, non-chemical process.

Though this is Torre-Joe and Bio-Joe’s first collaboration, it is sure not to be the last as they pioneer a new sustainable industry and grow green jobs in SC.  They have a winning collaboration to grow, process, and fuel South Carolina’s future.

DATA SOURCES:

1. ATP-SC’s Website – www.agri-techproducers.com
2. Midlands Biofuels Website – www.midlandsbiofuels.com
3. AgStrong – Solio Family Canola Oil website – http://www.soliofamily.com
4. US Canola Association – http://www.uscanola.com/related-links/
5. South Carolina Biomass Council – http://www.scbiomass.org/
6. DOE’s National Bio-Energy Day Website – http://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/articles/national-bioenergy-day-2014
7. SCCEBA – SC Clean Energy Business Alliance – http://www.scceba.org
8. DHEC Department of Health & Environmental Control – http://www.scdhec.gov
9. National Biodiesel Board – http://www.biodiesel.org
10. 25x’25 – http://www.25×25.org/