Mainstream Pine Products Building Crude Tall Oil Biorefinery

Mainstream Pine Products, LLC, founded by a group of investors dedicated to using specialty chemicals from pine trees in a variety of downstream products for complex industries, has announced plans for an estimated $90 million crude tall oil (CTO) biorefinery at the Charleston International Manufacturing Center (CIMC) in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The biorefinery will be a highly advanced recycling facility with capacity to process 110,000 tons of CTO for use in a wide range of industrial applications. It is set to open in 2023, with a ground breaking and construction starting later this year.

CTO is a renewable, non-food resource and a byproduct of pine trees used in paper manufacturing. It is a vital component of many chemicals including renewable diesel processing products, lubricants, adhesives, inks, paints, coatings and tire and rubber additives.

“We conducted deep-dive market studies and reviewed pine chemical industry cycles,” remarks Rob Helwick, president and CEO of Mainstream Pine Products. “The increasing demand for renewable, non-food source materials led us to a nationwide search for the best location in which to expand our operations.”

With access to interstate highways, deep water shipping and rail facilities, Mainstream’s 10-acre facility will feature industry leading Nexpinus technology provided by Neste Engineering Solutions Oy. The associated projected management and engineering will be provided by PegasusTSI, Inc. and supported by Neste Engineering Solutions.

Mainstream has also established a long-term raw material supply chain and has engaged Citigroup Global Markets Inc. to serve as the underwriter for its tax-exempt project financing.

“It is important for us to develop our line of renewable products in a plant that meets the most rigorous environmental standards,” explains Helwick. “All things being equal, we believe the general population prefers renewable products, and biorefinery acknowledges the world’s increasing demand for more sustainable goods.”

Mainstream will be located in the 1,750-acre advanced manufacturing park at Charleston Industrial Manufacturing Center (CIMC) owned and operated by Cooper River Partners CRP. The Center offers rail and deep-water access via barge.