Ribbon Cutting for Biodiesel Pump in Portland

Speakers include: Governor John Baldacci (confirmed), and Portland Mayor Jill Duson (unconfirmed).

When: Wednesday, October 28 at 11:30 a.m. (NEW DATE & TIME)

Where: 51 Ingersoll Drive, Portland Maine (off Riverside Street)

Company background: Maine Bio-Fuel makes biodiesel from waste grease (also known as waste vegetable oil or WVO) that it collects from local restaurants. It has the capacity to produce over one million gallons of biodiesel a year.

The environment is central to Maine Bio-Fuel’s business plan. Rather than rely on fossil fuels, the company burns WVO to power production and heat its building. Methanol used in the production process is extracted from the final product and reused. Finally, the company uses a “dry wash system” to clean its final product, reducing water consumption by nearly 100% as compared to conventional production. All this makes Maine Bio-Fuel a state-of-the art, closed-loop biodiesel production plant, right here in Portland, Maine.

The local entrepreneurs behind Maine Bio-Fuel, Jarmin Kaltsas and Dean Sgouros, are invested in the community. They have invited USM art students to paint murals on their tanks, and they hope school groups and other interested parties will tour the plant, advocating what they call “an open door policy.” Maine-based companies UET Mixers (Mechanic Falls), St. Germain & Associates (Westbrook), Air & Water Quality, Inc (Freeport), and Concrete Prescriptions, LLC (Cape Elizabeth) all helped the company develop its pioneering system. Moreover, most of the investors are local. Maine Bio-Fuel produces a renewable fuel from local materials, and the management team hopes to sell most of the product within Maine and the Greater Portland Area.