Epitome Energy’s $418M Soybean Crushing Plant in North Dakota Moves Forward

In February of this year, Epitome Energy announced it was pursuing financing for the construction of a soybean crushing plant in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Now, plans for the $418 million project are moving forward, with construction expected to begin in the spring of 2024.

As the company continues to secure funding and air permits, the Grand Forks City Council has received updates and estimates for the expansion of water and sewer lines, and road improvements for the future site. The next step is for Epitome Energy and the city to forge a development agreement.

Proposed to be located on 100-acres just north of the city, the plant will be adjacent to a new railway circuit and will include: seed, oil, chemical, and by-product storage, loading and unloading facilities, management offices, wastewater treatment, and BNSF and CP rail access.

The plant will produce 60 million gallons of crude degummed soy oil per year; 940,000 tons of soybean meal per year; and 84,000 tons of soybean hulls per year, with a large share of the plant’s oil going to the production of renewable diesel fuels. The company will also supply oil to food companies, and finished soybean meal to the Manitoba hog industry, the Minnesota turkey industry, and the surrounding dairy industry, while the hulls will go to livestock producers in the area.

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