Contact: Liz Fuller
Phone: 503–552-5067
Email: media@nextrenewables.com
NEXT Renewable Fuels signs MOU with unions to construct $1 billion facility in Columbia County
PORTLAND, ORE. – March 1 – NEXT Renewable Fuels has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters for construction of the NEXT Facility at Port Westward, an anticipated $1.1 billion investment.
“We are pleased to sign an MOU with the building trades and carpenters for construction of our facility. We are committed to building in a safe and environmentally conscious manner, and to giving preference to local skilled and qualified labor. The Building Trades and Carpenters bring the highest level of local expertise and professionalism,” said Lou Soumas, president, NEXT Renewable Fuels.
NEXT Renewable Fuels Oregon will supply the West Coast with advanced green diesel, creating emissions savings equal to removing 1 million vehicles from the road. Scheduled to open at Port Westward in 2021, this state-of-the-art facility will eventually employ more than 200 skilled workers on site and will position Oregon as a leader in advanced biofuels production.
“This is a project that is good for Oregon. It will help our state and region achieve important renewable fuel standards while creating economic benefits that stay in the region. We at CPBCTC are excited to partner with NEXT to build this project to provide jobs for our members and a clean energy source for the Northwest,” said Willy Myers, executive secretary treasurer, Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council.
NEXT and the building trades will now negotiate a project labor agreement (PLA).
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About NEXT
NEXT is focused on the development and production of second-generation advanced biofuels, including Advanced Green Diesel, renewable propane and renewable naphtha to supply contracted off‐take agreements for customers in the western United States and Canada. NEXT’s fuels reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emission by up to 80 percent, improving the environment and moving us forward to a greener future. Visit us at www.nextrenewablef.wpengine.com.
About Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council
CPBTC represents 25 different crafts and more than 20,000 union construction workers, including: asbestos workers, boilermakers, brick & stone masons, cement masons, electricians, elevator constructors, glaziers, ironworkers, laborers, linoleum & carpet layers, millwrights, painters & tapers, plumbers, plasterers, pipe fitters & steamfitters, roofers, sheet metal workers, sprinkler fitters and teamsters. We are committed to a high level of professionalism and quality achieved through our extensive apprenticeship and journey level programs, including nine different training centers located throughout our area. We spend over ten million dollars a year, 100% private sector, providing our members with access to training programs designed by the construction industry for the construction industry. These programs are State of Oregon Certified and nationally acclaimed. Visit us at www.colpacbuildingtrades.com.
About Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters (Carpenters) represents more than 24,000 men and women working throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Carpenters provide the education, training, partnerships, and collaboration that guarantee not just stability, but growth and boundless opportunity in an ever-changing industry. Visit us at www.nwcarpenters.org.
About Advanced Green Diesel
Advanced Green Diesel is a second-generation biofuel, meaning it is a drop-in replacement for fossil fuel-based diesel. That means that while you can blend Advanced Green Diesel with traditional diesel, you don’t have to. Our advanced biofuel can be used in diesel engines without modification and without negative long-term effects, and it burns cleaner than other fuel options.