Anamax plans to build at $10 million to $15 million, 12,300-square-foot plant in DeForest

Madison - A recycling company is poised to break ground on Wisconsin's first biodiesel plant.

Green Bay-based Anamax Corp. plans to start construction on the 12,300-square-foot plant next to its existing restaurant-grease recovery plant in DeForest on Monday. State Department of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen and U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican from Green Bay, are scheduled to attend.

DeForest village president Jeff Miller said the project could cost anywhere from $10 million to $15 million and create 10 to 15 new jobs. The plant is expected to produce about 20 million gallons of biodiesel annually, according to the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

"It's a big deal," Miller said. "We'll be the first community in Wisconsin to have a biodiesel facility."

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that can be made from vegetable oils or recycled cooking oil. It burns cleaner than traditional diesel, can run most diesel-fueled engines and help reduce dependence on foreign oil, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

More than 85 percent of biodiesel comes from soybeans, according to the national board.

State agriculture department spokesman Gary Radloff said the plant's presence could boost demand for Wisconsin's soybeans. DeForest, which lies in Dane County just outside Madison, sits in the hub of soybean production. Dane County is the second-leading soybean producer in the state, Radloff said. Rock County directly to the south is first.

"They're really close to a lot of growers," Radloff said.

Miller said he's not sure how heavily the plant will rely on soybeans. Cole Buergi, a Green Bay-based public relations specialist handling media inquiries for Anamax, declined to comment on the plant, saying he didn't want an early news story to deter people from attending the groundbreaking.

"It's a little unknown what it might do," said Lodi soybean farmer Keith Ripp, president of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board. "They'll probably purchase whatever is cheapest out there."

Nationally, biodiesel blends are sold at 450 retail pumps. The energy bill President Bush signed in August included tax incentives meant to make biodiesel production more attractive and keep costs down.

For more waste recycling, reusing and reduction news, read out current email bulletin at http://www.wastecapwi.org/bulletin_archive.htm.