Fulcrum Looks at Northwest Indiana for Next Waste-To-Fuel Plant

Fulcrum BioEnergy announced that it has selected Gary, Indiana for the location of its Centerpoint BioFuels Plant, which will convert municipal solid waste into low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel.

“Launching our business in Indiana is an important next step in expanding Fulcrum’s capabilities to new cities rich in innovation and opportunity,” said Jim Macias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fulcrum. “Fulcrum’s municipal solid waste-to-fuels process will help reduce the impacts from climate change and boost the economy by producing low-carbon transportation fuel as well as bringing high-paying jobs and investment to northwest Indiana.”

Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and will take approximately 18–24 months to complete. Once operational, the Centerpoint plant will divert and process approximately 700,000 tons of waste from the Greater Chicago area. The plant will process the waste, which will be converted offsite into a prepared feedstock, and will produce approximately 33 million gallons of fuel annually. Centerpoint will deploy Fulcrum’s proprietary process which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent when compared to conventional fossil fuels and will generate hundreds of jobs in the region, creating 160 full-time permanent jobs and 900 construction jobs.

“Today is a great day for Gary and one that will have a significant impact on the city and surrounding communities for years to come,” said Governor Holcomb. “The state’s strong roots in manufacturing paired with an emerging tech sector make Indiana the ideal destination for innovative companies like Fulcrum that are developing 21st century solutions and changing the way we address today’s challenges.”

Fulcrum’s Centerpoint plant will be the company’s second waste-to-fuels plant. In late 2017, Fulcrum began construction on the Sierra BioFuels Plant located near Reno, Nevada.