CLAYPOOL, INDIANA, U.S. — Louis Dreyfus Commodities announced on Aug. 18 that it is adding a glycerin refinery to its soybean crushing and biodiesel plant in Claypool, Indiana, U.S., with construction expected to be complete by the end of 2015. The new refinery will be the second largest in the U.S., producing USP-grade Kosher refined glycerin, with a capacity of 80 million pounds per year.

“The refinery in Claypool is being built with the best technology available,” said Tommy Malone, Louis Dreyfus Commodities’ head of North America. “We expect our plant to produce the highest-quality refined glycerin, meeting the needs of our growing customer network.”


Louis Dreyfus Commodities has been marketing crude glycerin, a co-product of the biodiesel process at Claypool, since the facility began operations in 2007. The addition of the refinery should allow the plant to process up to 100% of its crude glycerin production into USP-grade Kosher refined glycerin.

Located approximately 100 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois, U.S., the Claypool facility is on the Norfolk Southern Rail Road and will have the capability to load refined glycerin into trucks as well as tanker railcars. Louis Dreyfus Commodities has also leased specialized, lined tank cars to ship refined glycerin to customers, and built additional onsite storage capacity to support refinery operations.

“The refinery further strengthens our investment in the Claypool plant, and provides high quality employment opportunities in agricultural processing for Kosciusko County,” Malone said. “Refined glycerin is present in a variety of industries worldwide, including personal care, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, chemical and textiles. New applications for refined glycerin continue to be discovered, giving rise to a strong and growing glycerin market in the U.S., and we are prepared to meet these increasing demands.”

The group anticipates commencing production of refined glycerin at the end of 2015.