AgTech's Latest Move: Taking Another Swing at Biodiesel Production

Washington: AgTech OS, a leading agriculture technology company, has announced its plans to construct a Biodiesel facility outside the city limits of Washington State. The proposed plant will be situated on the roadside of Washington State Route 270 and will cover an area of approximately 200 acres. The company is planning to acquire land at the intersection of Washington State Route 270 and Pullman Airport Road currently owned by Sand Road Land Company. Ernest Spicer, AgTech OS CEO, spoke at a news conference on Thursday afternoon, where he highlighted the company's Biodiesel plant plans and addressed community concerns. The location chosen for the plant is behind Floyd's Cannabis Co., between the cities of Moscow and Pullman. Although AgTech OS has not yet bought the land, Spicer confirmed that they plan to do so soon.

AgTech OS has proposed a new facility spanning 550,000 square feet, with an estimated construction cost of $200 million. The construction is expected to start in 2024 and finish by 2025, with testing scheduled for 2026. AgTech OS aims to have the plant fully operational by 2027 or 2028, employing between 45 to 60 skilled personnel. Even though the project was initiated in partnership with Port of Whitman County, plans fell through due to objections from Pullman residents. Therefore, AgTech OS now plans to build and manage the Biodiesel facility on its own. It has been in pursuit of this plan for almost ten months.

In January, the port initiated a project named Agricultural Advancement Campus, with the proposed Biodiesel plant as its primary tenant. The development was planned to span over 184 acres of land outside of Pullman, with 88 acres within the city's limits, near residential areas and the Pullman School District on Old Wawawai Road. On March 2, the port applied to the city of Pullman to convert the designated residential zone into an industrial one. However, some residents of Pullman expressed criticism, citing concerns about losing residential space, negative impacts on property values, and potential environmental hazards. The proposed development faced widespread opposition, with over 7,000 people signing a petition and multiple protests taking place.

In March, Ed Schweitzer, the President, and founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, expressed his disapproval of the port's plan through a letter. AgTech OS announced on March 21st that it had terminated its partnership with the port and was actively seeking an alternative location for its biofuel facility. Consequently, the port withdrew its rezoning application and offer to buy land, which was partly within Pullman city limits, leading to the termination of the campus project on April 20^_th.