Mainstream Pine Products, LLC, today announced plans for an estimated $90 million crude tall oil (CTO) biorefinery at the Charleston International Manufacturing Center (CIMC) in Berkeley County. 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. 

This facility will serve as the centerpiece of Mainstream’s strategy to become the highest quality, lowest cost producer of CTO derivatives in North America. The company anticipates breaking ground and starting construction later this year with operations commencing in 2023.

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.

Specific to lubricants, Rob Helwick, president of Mainstream Pine Products, told JobbersWorld, “In metal working fluids, CTO derivatives are vital components that aid lubricating and cooling properties because they are renewable products that improve emulsion stability and reduce foaming.”