Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, (l-r), Fulcrum’s Jim Macias, Gov. Eric Holcomb, Gary City Council President Ron Brewer, and Indiana Secretary of Commerce James Schellinger

Gary chosen as site for new Centerpoint BioFuels plant

Contributed By:The 411 News

Producing jet and diesel fuels from household trash and other waste products that usually go into landfills is the promise of a proposed waste-to-energy plant coming to Gary.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, and leaders of Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. announced Thursday at Gary City Hall that Fulcrum is moving forward to invest approximately $600 million to establish Fulcrum’s Centerpoint BioFuels Plant in the city’s Buffington Harbor area.

The site, at least 50 acres in size, is in final negotiations. The company plans to begin construction in 2020, after finishing site design plans and preparation. Fulcrum plans to be operational in 2022, following 18-24 months of construction. The company plans to build trash separating facilities at landfills in northeast Illinois, then ship the processed feedstock to Gary.

“Launching our business in Indiana is an important next step in expanding Fulcrum’s capabilities to new cities rich in innovation and opportunity,” said Jim Macias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. “Fulcrum’s municipal solid waste-to-fuels process will positively impact climate change and boost the economy by providing low-carbon transportation fuel while also creating high-paying jobs and investment in northwest Indiana.”

Centerpoint BioFuels will convert municipal solid waste into low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel, and will create up to 163 new jobs by the end of 2022. Once operational, Centerpoint will produce approximately 33 million gallons of fuel annually while diverting approximately 700,000 tons of waste each year from local landfills in the Greater Chicago area.

Fulcrum is currently constructing a waste-to-fuels plant near Reno, Nevada. That plant’s feedstock processing facility and refinery is adjacent to Waste Management’s Lockwood Regional Landfill, one of the largest landfills in the western U.S.

According to the Chicago Business Journal, United Airlines is a major investor in Fulcrum. The airline “for several years has touted that it is in the forefront of the airline industry biofuels movement among its largest United States-based competitors. All of United’s flights now operating out of the carrier's hub at Los Angeles International Airport are powered with a mix of conventional jet fuel and biofuel.”

Fluctuating oil prices and under pressures to reduce carbon emissions, airlines are increasingly looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. Fuel is the most expensive part of running an airline, accounting for about a third of their operating costs each year.

Other partners in Fulcrum’s renewable fuels process chain include Cathay Pacific Airways, BP, Waste Connections, Marathon Petroleum, World Fuel Services, Marubeni, Japan Airlines and the U.S. Department of Defense.

“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,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This new waste-to-fuel plant is a huge win for the city of Gary and for the Hoosier workforce across northwest Indiana."

“The attraction of new businesses that provide an entrée into new sectors has been a focus of our economic development team,” said Mayor Freeman-Wilson. “Our objective is to create jobs while raising the city’s assessed valuation. With a significant capital investment and noteworthy job creation, Fulcrum is a great example of the success of these efforts. This does not happen without the commitment and investment from Governor Holcomb and our partners in state government. We all understand that when Gary wins, Indiana wins.”


Waste processing line at Fulcrum’s Sierra Biofuels Plant in Storey County, Nevada


Fulcrum’s Sierra Biofuels Plant in Nevada

Story Posted:12/14/2018