Chevron, the nation’s second largest oil and gas company, has announced it will restart a biofuels plant in western Iowa’s Carroll County.
Chevron cites “improving market conditions” in the decision to restart the biodiesel plant in Ralston, Iowa, that’s been shut down for nearly two years. Chevron has announced it will get the feedstock needed for its soybean-based biodiesel from the Landus Cooperative plant nearby that processes 28 million bushels a soybeans annually.
The biodiesel plant in Ralston was Iowa’s first biodiesel facility when it opened in 1996. Chevron acquired the plant in over four years ago. Once the restart is completed, Chevron estimates the facility will produce nearly 42 million gallons of biodiesel per year.
Two dozen employees were laid off when the biodiesel plant in Ralston was shut down in March of 2024. Chevron has not announced how many workers it will hire, but has said production will resume after safety checks and some maintenance projects at the plant are completed.
