U.S. Senator Jim Bunning and former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher joined Owensboro Grain and, the Kentucky Soybean Board and the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition for the grain opening celebration.

John Wright, VP of Strategic Planning & Development, and a 4th generation family operator of Owensboro Grain says that fuel quality will be of utmost importance.

"This is a multi million dollar investment by Owensboro Grain. We have selected a technology that will give us the ability to meet today’s American fuel quality standard and future fuel standards as they evolve," said Wright.

"A grant from the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board and a low interest loan from the Agriculture Finance Corporation has been invested for the future" he added.

Owensboro Grain broke ground on the plant in May 2006.  It is expected to produce 50 million gallons annually from soybean oil. The plant will utilize soybeans from Kentucky and across the region.  Kentucky produces 54 million bushels of soybeans annually with 11 pounds of oil processed from each bushel.  Owensboro Grain produces 75 million gallons of soy oil each year currently at its vegetable oil refinery.  The Biodiesel plant is located adjacent to that refinery.

There are now 148 plants operating throughout the country with an average plant size of 9.5 million gallons annually.  National production was expected to exceed 300 million gallons in 2007, up from 25 million gallons in 2004. 

"The Owensboro Grain plant will further our industry’s goals to augment America’s energy independence by providing environmentally friendly, domestically-produced renewable fuels,"  said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. 

"Plants like these add valuable refining capacity to our nation’s fuel supply.  They also contribute to the local economy while stimulating the agricultural sector.  That’s a positive step for Kentucky and for the nation," added Jobe.

The plant was slated to be operational before December 2007. However, damage from a late summer tornado in the area pushed the date to January 2008.