While still trying to get permission to open a Grove City facility, Entire Energy and Renewables is looking at other possible locations.

The company originally drew criticism from some Grove City residents starting in November, when it sought a height variance for a 54-foot high silo, exceeding the maximum allowed height of 35 feet.

After multiple postponements, city council finally voted against awarding the variance. Entire Energy had earlier stated it could operate its planned facility without a silo.

Now Entire Energy is looking at other locations in the Columbus area that are still as close as possible to Liberty Tire, at 3041 Jackson Pike, which would supply the company with shredded tires, said Rich Sloan, a manager at Entire Energy.

“We’ve been forced to consider alternative locations,” Sloan said.

The Sunshine Park Place site is beneficial to Entire Energy for multiple reasons, Sloan said. For example, the building is extremely robust, having been engineered and constructed to withstand an explosion.

The sturdy structure also provides a wide open space. The location’s proximity to Liberty Tire also was an advantage, since it would help minimize the carbon footprint associated with tire transportation.

Entire Energy will file a permit application with the Environmental Protection Agency once it finalizes a location, Sloan said.

Entire Energy is contracting with a leading operation services provider to manage the 24-hour operation. The company would hire 21 employees, five of whom would be part time.

Inbound and outbound truck traffic would be limited to the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift. Three truckloads of inbound shredded tire nuggets would be delivered six days per week in tarp-covered trucks capable of carrying up to 22 tons each.

A tanker would transport diesel fuel, and two trailer trucks would transport the bagged carbon black from the facility. Scrap steel from the steel wire in the tires would be transported from the facility once per month.

The plant would produce synthetic gas, which Sloan described as being similar to natural gas. It would be used to fuel a gas turbine to create two megawatts of power to self-power the facility. More than half of the power would be sold to American Electric Power through an energy agreement.

“There’s going to be no tire burning going on,” Sloan said.

The process is odorless, and any noise would be contained within the facility, he said.

“We have what I believe is a business of the future for Grove City here,” Sloan said.