A Red Wing, Minnesota-based company, Epitome Energy, has acquired land on the south side of Crookston and has been awarded a $450,000 grant for a new rail spur for the project. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council funded a feasibility study to determine the best location for a soybean processing and biodiesel facility. The availability of land, water, natural gas and labor were seen as reasons for the Crookston location. The project under consideration would crush 21 million bushels of soybeans per year and cost approximately $130 million. The Epitome Energy project is in the planning phase. Financing and permitting will be the next hurdle for the plant.
