Illinois Welcomes Expansion of Soybean Plant for Biodiesel
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker celebrated groundbreaking at a $250 million soybean processing plant expansion at Incobrasa Industries Ltd. to double its production capacity for animal feed, packaged vegetable oil and biodiesel.
“With Incobrasa’s announced expansion today, the company will more than double its production capacity by 2030. That’s a win for Gilman, for Illinois and for the nation,” Pritzker said Sept. 6.
He noted that the project will create permanent jobs, including construction and installation, for workers in Iroquois County and regionally. The plant, about a mile west of Interstate 57, is located in Gilman. Incobrasa is a Brazilian privately owned and managed company.
“We’re making it easier for companies to do business in Illinois. We’re investing in our skilled workforce,” Pritzker said, “and we’re modernizing our transportation systems, roads, ports and airports. Illinois is on the rise and open for business.”
Great to join @GovPritzker, state & local representatives, company leadership, & hundreds of dedicated workers for Incobrasa’s groundbreaking for its $250M expansion in Gilman #BeInIllinois pic.twitter.com/vqiERFk3Ed — Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (@IllinoisDCEO) September 6, 2023
Incobrasa, a top soybean processor in Illinois since 1997, is building a new soybean-crushing facility plus a 50-acre solar array. The solar power system is expected to generate 5 megawatts of electricity that can directly provide power to the plant or the electrical grid.
The state provided a tax incentive to assist with the expansion through its Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credit, which requires at least a $155.8 million capital investment.
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Kristin Richards, director of the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said, “Through a variety of business attraction incentives, the state of Illinois is committed to supporting businesses with a shared commitment to investing in Illinois’ communities while spurring economic development.”
Aluizio Ribeiro, president and CEO of Incobrasa, said, “Because of the EDGE tax credit, we will be able to expand our workforce and our footprint with local farmers.”
The company’s Illinois facility is equipped to load biodiesel by truck and railcar. Most of its customers obtain biodiesel directly from the facility with their own or third-party trucking fleets.
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“We provide for steady off-loading of soybean deliveries and daily loading of hopper trailers for animal feed, tanker trailers for biodiesel, box trailers for bottled vegetable oil and railcars,” according to Incobrasa.
Incobrasa is a member of the National Biodiesel Board and has an annual production capacity of 44 million gallons.
According to the Illinois Soybean Association, the state is among the largest biodiesel-producing states. Biodiesel production there supports nearly 2,000 jobs in all of the state’s economic sectors.
