Tami Hornbeck
A micro-refinery in DeWitt is the test site for a much larger initiative by Delta Bioenergy, a project powered by Communities Unlimited of Fayetteville, a nonprofit. The organization’s goal is to provide infrastructure services to underprivileged areas and allow for lasting economic and entrepreneurial growth.
Tami Hornbeck, Troy Hornbeck’s wife and a community facilitator at Communities Unlimited, is overseeing the DeWitt project.
“It has been a struggle, but our strategy is not dependent on tax incentives or tax credits,” Hornbeck said. “Those are welcome and helpful, but it’s meant to stand without those. It’s meant to be a part of the community so the wealth stays in the community … We think that’s been the key. Start small.”
Delta Bioenergy follows a four-step plan.
- Buy and collect waste vegetable oil, as well as camelina meal and oil, from local businesses and farmers.
- Process the resources at one of the micro-refineries.
- Feed the oil through a pretreatment process to remove water and gums and free fatty acids.
- Barrel the produced biodiesel and sell back to the local government for its own vehicles and equipment.
Once the test site in DeWitt reaches full scale, Hornbeck said, it could produce a maximum of 200,000 gallons per year, effectively bringing about $900,000 into the community.
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