Contact: Liz Fuller
Phone: 503–552-5067
Email: media@nextrenewables.com
Port of Columbia County and NEXT Energy Group, Inc. Enter into Site Development Agreement
NEXT Energy Group, Inc. chooses Port Westward location for its new renewable fuels facility
HOUSTON, TEXAS – September 15, 2018 – NEXT Energy Group, Inc. (NEXT) and the Port of Columbia County (POCC) announced they have entered into a Site Development and Option Agreement after the POCC Board of Commissioners unanimously approved moving forward with NEXT’s proposed 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,” POCC Executive Director Doug Hayes said. “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.”
Representing an investment of more than $1 billion, NEXT is developing a renewable diesel facility capable of producing 37,500 barrels per day (600 million gallons per year). 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, animal tallows and selected virgin seed and vegetable oils. Renewable diesel is known as a “drop-in” replacement fuel because it can directly replace petroleum-based diesel.
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,” NEXT president Lou Soumas said. “We look forward to completing the permitting process, breaking ground and becoming a part of the community.”
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About NEXT
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.
About the Port of Columbia County
The Port of Columbia County offers a variety of sites for industrial development in its 9‑site portfolio of about 2,400 acres of land, sites with excellent highway, rail, and river access, including the Port Westward Industrial Park. The Port is committed to being stewards of our environment. Every project and practice in our industry has some impact on the natural surroundings, so we always ensure balance given our environmental impact within the Port District.