Nov 25 2009
Blue Marble Energy Corp. announced today that the company and the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA) were recently awarded $2 million by Washington State's Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) in a private/public partnership to construct the state's first specialty biochemical biorefinery in Lincoln County, WA.
"This investment will significantly speed the development of our biorefinery and bring over 70 green jobs to Lincoln County," said Blue Marble Energy CEO Kelly Ogilvie. "We are grateful to the Governor and the State for their commitment to sustainability and to creating new jobs in these challenging economic times."
The $2 million will be applied to the infrastructure and development of Blue Marble Energy's industrial pilot in Lincoln County, WA where Blue Marble will be joining Barr-Tech, LLC at the Barr Regional Bio-Industrial Park. The 40-acre Bio-Industrial Park will process multiple organic waste streams from the region in a rural/urban partnership, representing the first biorefinery of its kind. This partnership is expected to help reduce the cost of recycling and open new avenues to reduce carbon emissions in Washington State.
"I am very pleased that the Department of Commerce is able to support the goals of Blue Marble Energy," said Governor Gregoire. "This decision will create green collar jobs, reduce our state's carbon footprint, and encourage economic growth not only in Lincoln County but in the state and region as a whole."
Blue Marble Energy's biorefinery will process 1,000 tons of organic biomass per month, producing 858 metric tons of biochemicals and 700 metric tons of green ammonia per annum. These renewable biochemical products serve as drop-in replacements to their petrochemical counterparts, reducing waste on both ends of the supply chain. In its first year of operation, the facility is expected to create 30 to 50 full time green collar jobs and 50 to 70 construction/consultation jobs. Ground is scheduled to be broken in April of 2010.
Source: http://www.bluemarbleenergy.net/