Bio-diesel company looking at Santa Rosa sites

A Miami-based company is looking for sites at the Santa Rosa Industrial Park to build a biodiesel production and distribution plant.

Representatives of Biodiesel of South Florida toured the industrial park in East Milton with Commissioner Bob Cole this week to discuss the availability of land. The company would initially need two to three acres for the distribution plant and up to 10 acres for the production facility.

“It came out very, very positive,” said Rick Cartaya, chief executive officer of Biodiesel of South Florida. “We’re working together to find a site at the industrial park to see if we can maybe start operations there. The whole commission is behind it.”

Biodiesel of South Florida was founded three years ago. The company has a pilot production plant in South Florida.

The pilot plant produces about 200 gallons of fuel a day. The Santa Rosa County plant is expected to produce about 30 million gallons of biodiesel a year, said Mike Moreno, the company’s director of sales.

Before the production plant is built, Biodiesel of South Florida plans to open a biodiesel distribution plant at the industrial park and make the fuel available throughout the county.

The plant would take about six to eight months to build, Moreno said. He hopes a site can be found this year and the plant opened sometime in 2008.

When the production plant opens, the company plans to partner with Santa Rosa County farmers to grow the crops that would be used to make the fuel. The company currently uses soy, corn, chicken fat, algae and other sources to make the fuel.

The biggest challenge will be finding an appropriate site. Cole said Biodiesel of South Florida liked the industrial park because of its proximity to Interstate 10 and its potential access to a railroad spur.

“There is land available (at the industrial park), there just isn’t a rail spur there yet,” Cole said.

If a site is found, the County Commission must approve the lease or purchase to the company.

Biodiesel of South Florida is the second company trying to locate a production plant in Northwest Florida. Gulf Coast Energy of Livingston, Ala., has reached an agreement with Walton County to build a combination biodiesel/ethanol production facility at the industrial park in Mossy Head.

Gulf Coast Energy met with representatives from Eglin Air Force Base’s Mission Enhancement Committee on Thursday to ask for permission to use the Eglin-owned rail system at the park to transport fuel. The request is currently being reviewed by Eglin officials.

Gulf Coast Energy is also applying for grants from the U.S. Department of Energy now to help with construction of the plant.