WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced earlier this week that a biofuel plant will be located in Dooly County.
“There is a clear consumer demand for clean, American-made, renewable fuels, which our rural communities stand ready to meet,” Vilsack said in making the announcement. “USDA is proud to support environmentally and technologically sound projects like this one, which will increase biofuel availability nationwide and create jobs in rural Georgia.”
This new company will hire more than 138 employees and many of these jobs will require specialized skills.
Terrell Hudson, chairman of the Dooly County Board of Commissioners, said, “We welcome these high skilled jobs. It will really be a boost to our area.”
“Dooly County is an agricultural/forestry county,” said Bob Jeter of the Dooley County Industrial Development Authority. “This will have such a positive impact on the area. Most of our farmers have pine trees and this will be very beneficial for their futures.”
Ensyn Georgia Biorefinery will construct and operate a cellulosic biofuel refinery in Dooly County, which will produce 20 million gallons of renewable fuel per year employing its rapid thermal processing technology.
Ensyn will convert 440 dry tons of woody biomass into a renewable fuel oil product. There is an abundant supply of woody biomass near the plant due to excess forest materials in the region. The renewable fuel oil will be used as a heating oil replacement and as a renewable feedstock for diesel and gasoline production at refineries.