The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is investing in a 500,000-square-foot hemp processing facility in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Durango Herald reports. The grand opening for the Panda Hemp Gin facility was held last month. The facility will process hemp straw for use in textiles, straw, and pellets.
During the ribbon-cutting last month, Tribal Chairman Melvin J. Baker said the “facility represents not just an investment in the future of hemp production … but also a dedication to environmental stewardship and community development.”
Panda Biotech announced its partnership with the tribe last year. The facility can process as much as 22,000 pounds of hemp fiber an hour, making it the second-largest in the world, the report says.
Shane Seibel, executive director of the Southern Ute Growth Fund, told the Herald that the tribe is “interested in the sequestering of substantial amounts of carbon dioxide now, not only here locally on our oil and gas facilities, but everywhere else.”
“And this partnership really aligned well with the energy transition,” Seibel said.
Dixie Carter, president of Panda Biotech, added that the company’s industrial hemp “will play a pivotal role in satisfying significant global market demand for renewable processes and products.”
“As research and development in this area continue to advance, industrial hemp fiber and cellulose will help transform numerous industries with sustainable goals and challenges,” she said.
The company said the process produces zero waste, uses every part of the hemp plant, and the facility operates on 100% renewable energy. The straw is sourced from Texas and surrounding states.
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