Renewable Energy Group Inc. celebrated the formal opening of the newest addition to its fleet of biorefineries April 26 with a ribbon cutting at REG Madison. The company also announced upgrades to the plant.

REG leaders were joined by state and local business, government and community leaders for the ceremony recognizing the transition to REG’s ownership of the 20 MMgy biodiesel refinery formerly owned by Sanimax Energy.

“We are dedicated to producing cleaner, lower carbon intensity products and this celebration is another example of our commitment to environmental stewardship and energy security,” said REG President and CEO Daniel Oh. “We are proud to be in the DeForest community and look forward to growing here.”

The event also served as a groundbreaking for approximately $7 million of additional investment into the biorefinery. The upgrades include process improvements, a dedicated entrance for the plant, additional biodiesel storage and locker rooms for the team.

“These upgrades will allow the plant to run more efficiently and optimize our production and logistics capabilities,” said Brad Albin, vice president of manufacturing at REG.

DeForest business leaders expressed thanks for the company’s commitment to the area. “We are happy to welcome REG to the community and are excited that REG is investing in the plant and in the community,” said Jeff Miller, Village of DeForest trustee. “We look forward to a positive and growing partnership with REG.”

REG now has 11 active North American biomass-based diesel refineries in seven states (three in Iowa, two in Illinois, two in Texas, and one each in Louisiana, Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin) with a combined production capacity of 452 MMgy. The company also has a majority ownership of German biodiesel producer Petrotec’s two biorefineries.