New feedstock-pretreatment facility opens in Mississippi

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Oleo-X announced May 4 the launch of its renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstock merchant pretreatment facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The new facility has the potential capacity to produce up to 300 million gallons per year of premium feedstock.

The company stated that it leverages its advanced pretreatment technology to produce clean, high-quality feedstocks, allowing its partners to produce premium renewable diesel and SAF.

“Oleo-X’s advanced chemistry formulates an unmatched product that can extend renewable diesel and SAF unit catalyst lives by years,” the company stated. “The purity of the feed reduces the revamp cost of converting existing conventional refining units to process renewable feedstock, while also lowering carbon intensity.”

Oleo-X’s plant processes low-carbon inedible oils including poultry fat without blending in high-quality oils taken from the food industry, the company stated.

“At Oleo-X, our vision is to feed the growing demand for sustainable energy, and today’s launch brings us one major step closer to making that vision a reality,” said Ivonne Ruggles, an Oleo-X investor. “Our goal is to be a leader in sustainable energy. We are delivering a product so pure that some customers already call it ‘liquid gold.’ Oleo-X is committed to modernizing and optimizing the way low-carbon fuels are manufactured.”

The new Oleo-X feedstock-pretreatment facility previously manufactured chemicals for tires, dyes and building materials.

The company purchased its site, the former home of Chemour’s First Chemical plant, nearly a year ago last June.

Over the past 11 months, Oleo-X invested substantially to revamp and expand the facility.

“We are very pleased to support the unparalleled innovation of Oleo-X,” said Francis Greenburger, chairman and CEO of Time Equities Inc., Oleo-X’s majority investor. “At TEI, we target renewable energy and decarbonization investment deals that offer compelling risk/reward profiles, while simultaneously making the planet cleaner and safer. Oleo-X is a perfect alignment of these goals, and we are proud of the positive impact that the company’s work is generating.”

In addition to the facility launch, Oleo-X announced the appointment of longtime airline fuel executive Sergio Correa as CEO.

Correa brings deep experience in the oil-and-gas space with long-term perspective from a large end-user.

For more than a decade, he worked at Delta Air Lines as the head of its clean oil-products division, leading five business functions and overseeing the supply and trading of $10 billion to $15 billion in physical oil.

“After gaining extensive experience in the fuel industry, I am proud to deepen my focus on innovative renewables at Oleo-X,” Correa said. “Helping to bridge the gap between our diverse industries such as agriculture, chemicals, oil and transportation, and with our diverse investor, supplier and customer base, is a fascinating challenge. I am eager to lead Oleo-X’s journey at the forefront of this fuel revolution.”

The Oleo-X facility supports more than 60 jobs, including 27 site leadership employees in Jackson County, Mississippi.

The company is on track to grow throughout the remainder of the year, increasing its workforce, production and community involvement.

“We are immensely grateful for the dedication and hard work by Oleo-X’s incredible employees and the Jackson County community,” Greenburger said. “We are fortunate to have such a high level of dedication and commitment to our work. We look forward to the continuous momentum of making our vision a reality with our top-quality talent and support.”