In the United States (US), NEXT Energy Group, Inc. (NEXT) and the Port of Columbia County (POCC) have announced that they have entered into a Site Development and Option Agreement after the POCC Board of Commissioners unanimously approved moving forward with NEXT’s proposed advanced biofuels project at the POCC site at Port Westward in Clatskanie, Oregon.
The NEXT renewable fuels project is a perfect fit with our development objectives at Port Westward. The project will allow for better use of our existing dock, will expand the Port’s energy footprint into more advanced energy technology and will bring more than 200 high‐wage jobs to the county. We are pleased NEXT selected Columbia County for the home of a project of this scale, said Doug Hayes, Executive Director, POCC in a statement.
Planning US$1 billion investment
NEXT is focused on the development and production of second‐generation advanced biofuels, including renewable diesel, renewable propane and renewable naphtha to supply contracted off‐take agreements for customers in the western United States and Canada.
Representing an investment of more than US$1 billion, NEXT is developing a renewable diesel facility capable of producing 37 500 barrels per day (≈ 600 million US gallons or 2.27 billion litres per annum). Scheduled to open in 2021, it will supply the west coast’s growing alternative liquid fuels market and satisfy federal and state environmental and fuel security requirements.
NEXT renewable diesel is a second‐generation advanced biofuel made from 100 percent renewable feedstocks including used cooking oils (UCO), animal tallows and selected virgin seed and vegetable oils. Renewable diesel is a “drop‐in” replacement fuel as it can directly replace petroleum‐based diesel in any blend.
NEXT selected the Port Westward site due to its strategic location at a deep‐water dock on the Columbia River, access to required utilities and other infrastructure, and strong community support for clean energy projects.
The Port Westward site is the perfect fit for this project. We look forward to completing the permitting process, breaking ground and becoming a part of the community, said Lou Soumas, President of NEXT.
