innovate arkansas

Green Way Bio Energy LLC of Little Rock announced plans Thursday to construct a 10 million-gallon biodiesel production facility on the Arkansas River in the Little Rock Port Authority.

Formed in May, the company expects to begin construction in November and be in production by mid-April.

"We are tremendously excited to be a part of the rapidly growing bio energy sector," said Keith Thompson of Stuttgart, president, CEO and one of the company founders. "Green Way's facility will be environmentally friendly creating no air pollution and no wastewater."

"We are proud to have this new industry moving into our port," said Joey Dean, executive director of the Metro Little Rock Alliance. "Greenway Bio Energy has worked with MLRA, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Little Rock Port Authority, the city of Little Rock and the Arkansas Department of Economic Development to make this project a reality."

Green Way was founded by Thompson and Mike Kinley of Des Moines, Iowa. Mike Shook and Steve Danforth of Agri Process Innovations of Stuttgart, a company that builds biodiesel plants, are principals in the business. Shook and Danforth remain partners in Patriot BioFuels of Stuttgart, one of the first biodiesel facilities in the state. Frank Orthoefer is a partner with 35 years of experience in fats and oils.

The state has seen a rash of biodiesel production announcements lately, driven in part by the high oil prices, a federal tax credit of $1 per gallon for biodiesel blenders, and alternative-fuel-vehicle credits that diesel-powered fleets can earn by using biodiesel blends of at least B20 – 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent traditional diesel. Production of biodiesel tripled in 2005 as major industries such as agriculture, trucking and municipalities began looking for less expensive and cleaner ways to operate their vehicles.