Red River Biorefinery in Grand Forks Could be Operational Within a Year

(KNOX) -The Grand Forks Committee of the Whole recently received an update on the Red River Biorefinery.

Grand Forks City administrator Todd Feland said the facility has a new owner.

“I think they have a better strategy moving forward. We’re going to partner with them along with the State of North Dakota in getting this facility up and going,” Feland told the committee.

Feland said that given the refinery’s past he is hopeful that the new owners will have success in operating the plant. “The good part of this is that an owner has stepped in to start the facility up, as opposed to cannibalizing this facility, which would have been a shame for Grand Forks. “

Feland said that the refinery would be an economic boost to that area. “Hopefully the new owners can get this done. The Red River Bio refinery would be the first of many expansions in this area,” said Feland.

Drew Leehan with the new owners says that sugar beet waste has proved to be too rocky and dirt filled to be used. “We had the opportunity to buy the facility, and we took that as quickly we could, because of the faith of the individuals in restarting the facility is a 100 percent certain that it will restart. It will restart how it was intended to actually to run, but not on the problematic feed stocks,” Leehan said.

Leehan said that the plant could be operational within in a year.

The facility is located off of Gateway Drive parallel to Interstate 29 in Grand Forks.
A biorefinery is a refinery that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts, such as chemicals