Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a loan guarantee to Chemtex International, Inc., (Chemtex), to construct a 20-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol refinery in Sampson County in eastern North Carolina. The project, a first-of-its-kind commercial facility in the Mid-Atlantic region, will help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, increase farm income and create jobs in the region.
“Today’s announcement supports the Obama Administration’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to embrace alternative American-produced feedstocks that support our nation’s energy independence and provide jobs in rural areas,” Vilsack says. “At USDA, we are focused on the production of renewable energy from a wide variety of non-food sources, including energy grasses. The facility we are announcing today will help create more than 300 jobs in North Carolina and is a perfect example of how producing home-grown energy is good for the economy and good for our energy future.”
The Chemtex facility is expected to create 65 fulltime jobs with estimated average salaries of more than $48,000 per year. An additional 250 indirect jobs are also anticipated in areas such as feedstock supply, maintenance and transportation.
Read more: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/resources/biofuels-loan-aids-north-carolina-pork-producers
