USDA biofuel pandemic payments: Which biobased diesel producers are getting paid, and how much?

USDA announced June 3 nearly $700 million in biofuel producer payments for those who faced market losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds are being made available through the Biofuel Producer Program, which was created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

USDA is making payments to 195 biofuel production facilities, only 30 of which produce biobased diesel. The majority remainder produce mostly corn-based ethanol. Although the total payments to the 195 biofuel plants approaches $700 million, less than $60 million of this is being provided to those 30 biobased diesel producers. Some large ethanol producers such as Archer Daniels Midland and Poet are receiving $50 million each.

Here are the biobased diesel producers receiving USDA pandemic assistance, from the highest to lowest payments:

• Sinclair Oil, more than $16 million for its renewable diesel facility in Wyoming

• RBF Port Neches, more than $13.7 million for its large-scale biodiesel plant in Texas

• World Energy, nearly $9.5 million for five biobased diesel plants in California, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi and Pennsylvania

• Hero BX, more than $8.6 million for three biodiesel plants located in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Alabama

• TCR Holdings, nearly $2.9 million for three plants that produce ethanol and biobased diesel in Tennessee, California and Kentucky

• Minnesota Soybean Processors, more than $2.7 million for its biodiesel plant in Minnesota

• Delek Renewables, more than $2.5 million for three biodiesel plants in Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas

• Global Alternative Fuels, more than $1.6 million for its Texas biodiesel facility

• New Leaf Biofuel, more than $828,000 for its San Diego-based biodiesel plant

• Reco Biodiesel, more than $142,000 for its Virginia biodiesel plant

• Pacific Biodiesel, more than $136,000 for its Hawaii-based biodiesel facility

• Imperial Western Products, nearly $100,000 for its biodiesel plant in California

• Crimson Renewable Energy, more than $90,000 for its California and Oregon biodiesel plants

• Blue Ridge Biofuels, nearly $50,000 for its facility in North Carolina

• Walsh Bio Fuels, nearly $32,000 for its biodiesel plant in Wisconsin

• Ever Cat Fuels, more than $29,000 for its Minnesota-based biodiesel plant

• Thumb Bioenergy, more than $28,000 for its biodiesel plant in Michigan

• Alternative Fuel Solutions, nearly $22,000 for its plant in Indiana

• Down To Earth Energy, nearly $16,000 for its Georgia-based biodiesel plant