State and business leaders celebrate Spiritwood Soybean Processing Plant opening

(Spiritwood, ND) -- A ribbon cutting was held in Spiritwood Tuesday to celebrate North Dakota's first dedicated soybean processing plant.

The ceremony was attended by North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Tammy Miller, along with the CEOs of Marathon Petroleum and ADM. The facility, which is called Green Bison Soy Processing, is located at the Spiritwood Energy Park and began operating in mid-September of this year.

The plant produces vegetable oil that will be used to supply Marathon's renewable diesel facility in Dickinson, along with soybean meal that will be used for animal agriculture.

Prior to the plant's opening, the state needed to export approximately 90% of its soybean crop. Now, Lt. Gover Tammy Miller says the state will be able to process more than half within the state.