SOMERSET, KY. — Continental Refining Co.’s (CRC) soybean processing facility is fully operational with the ability to produce 250 tonnes of high-protein soybean meal per day and the potential to expand to 500 tonnes per day.

The Somerset facility also is extracting soybean hulls for use as a feed ingredient for livestock and poultry.

The facility will process 4 million bus of soybeans per year into vegetable oil, soybean meal and hulls. The company’s biodiesel refining division is expected to produce up to 5 million gallons per year.

“Continental Refining Co. is urgently seeking to meet the growing demand for high-quality soybean meal, hulls, and crude soybean oil that we use to produce CRC’s UltraBurn diesel blends and pure biodiesel,” said Demetrios Haseotes, chief executive officer of Continental Refining Co.

Mr. Haseotes said CRC is looking to purchase soybeans from farmers within 150 miles of the facility.

Livestock producers, poultry producers, pet food manufacturers, and feed mills will be among the purchasers of soybean meal and hulls. The market size for soybean meal and hulls in the central Kentucky region is estimated to be approximately 250,000 tonnes per year, with demand spread throughout the regions of Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana.

CRC said its expansion into soybean processing is part of its commitment to sustainability and efficiency. The company broke ground on the $31.5 million project in December 2021.

CRC is a fuel producer and distributor serving customers in central Kentucky. It officially reopened its fuel distribution and bulk lubricant operations in November 2021, offering on-site fueling for retail, commercial and industrial, construction, agriculture, and residential customers. CRC also has entered into a marketing agreement to distribute Phillips 66 bulk lubricants and products. The company offers two types of transport as part of its services — large tanker transport and tank wagon.