Biomass Developer Eyes Louisiana for Three New Biofuel Refineries
August 27, 2013, Source: BioEnergy News
Cool Planet Energy Systems, a producer of petrol from non-food biomass, is to build three biomass-to-biofuel production plants in the US state of Louisiana for an investment of $168 million (€125.9 million).
Two sites – one in Alexandria and another in Natchitoches – have already been determined. The location for the third plant is still to be decided.
Cool Planet will break ground on the Port of Alexandria project at the beginning of 2014 before operations begin at the end of the year. Construction on the second biorefinery at the Port of Natchitoches is slated to begin by mid-2015, with a completion date of 2016. The third plant will enter service towards the end of 2016.
Cool Planet Energy Systems CEO Howard Janzen was quoted as saying: ‘We chose Louisiana for multiple reasons, including abundant renewable feedstock supply. Our goal is to have operating and capital costs that are competitive with conventional oil industry gasoline production costs.’
‘Cool Planet’s decision to invest in central Louisiana reinforced two important messages,’ president Jim Clinton of the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance was reported to have said. ‘First, central Louisiana is a great location for making things. And second, it is emerging as a national leader in high-tech biomass and renewable energy applications.’
The project will create 72 new direct job openings and around 750 construction jobs.
