Tidewater awarded grant for biodiesel distribution hub
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PASCO – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced an award of $3,072,696 to Tidewater Terminal Company to expand the availability of biodiesel throughout central and eastern Washington and Oregon, plus northern Idaho.
Combined with over $3 million in matching funds from Tidewater, the grant will fund improvements at the company’s Snake River Terminal in Pasco to enable it to receive biodiesel by railcar as well as its blending and offloading to trucks for local delivery.
Tidewater’s application for funding was aided by bipartisan support from the Pacific Northwest’s congressional delegation including Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), who each sent a letter of support to USDA.
The Snake River Terminal is the only multi-modal facility in the area with access to rail, barge, and pipeline. Improvements to the facility will provide the capacity to blend more than 2 million gallons of biodiesel per month and meet the energy needs of area farmers during peak harvest season.
The project will support Washington and Oregon’s emissions reductions goals by helping meet a projected 150 percent increase in biodiesel demand. By utilizing a broad, expanding range of feedstocks including soybean oil, animal fats and used cooking oil, biodiesel can reduce net carbon emissions by as much as 78 percent compared to petroleum-based fuels.
Photo of Snake River Terminal via Tidewater Terminal Company
