SHELL ROCK, IOWA, US — Shell Rock Soy Processing (SRSP), has received an air quality permit, advancing the development of a $270 million plant at the Butler Logistics Park northwest of Shell Rock.

The Mid-Iowa Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative based in east central Iowa, and Mike Kinley, chief executive officer of Mid-Iowa, have joined forces to create SRSP. Once operational in 2022, SRSP will crush 38.5 million bushels of soybeans a year, or approximately 110,000 bushels per day.

“SRSP is a game changer that’s like a Spartan race,” Kinley said. “It’s the ultimate team challenge that raises the bar on competition. Receiving this air-quality permit will help us propel value-added agriculture in this region.”

The air permit application and review process guarantee that SRSP will meet emissions standards to protect human health.  The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a Major Source Construction Permit subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Review.

The plant will be built by Granite Falls, Minnesota, US-based Fagen, Inc., the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) design builder and development partner for SRSP.

“The normal permitting timeline for this type of air permit is six months to more than a year,” said Dave Plagge, environmental services department head for Fagen. “In October 2020, SRSP applied for the permit, which was issued in March of 2021, just shy of five months.”

With the new air quality permit, Fagen, Inc. expects to increase construction efforts in April.

SRSP also recently inked a multi-year partnership with CHS Inc. to support management and operations at the plant.   SRSP will produce approximately 850,000 tonnes of high-quality soybean meal for livestock feed that CHS will market domestically and internationally.

SRSP also will produce soy oil that may be used for a variety of applications, including the human food industry. Approximately 25% of SRSP’s products will be used within Iowa, while 75% will be exported outside of Iowa.