Smiling Earth, developer of world’s largest biodiesel plant, faces suit in Oregon over financing deal

In Oregon, TerraFuels filed suit against Smiling Earth Energy, stating that Smiling Earth failed to provide 85 percent of financing for a $310 million biodiesel plant, refused to return a $100,000 deposit, and reneged on an agreement to provide palm oil feedstock. Smiling Earth recently received approval for its plan to build a 320 million gallon biodiesel facility in Chesapeake County, Virginia. The plant would be the world’s largest.

Earlier this month, the Chesapeake council voted to approve the Smiling Earth biodiesel plant, based on SE-Energy following 48 stipulations, most regarding fire and emergency preparedness, processing of raw animal fats or plants on their site to prevent odors, site run-off prevention and environmental studies on neighboring wetlands.

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