Date: September 27, 2010
Source: BlueFire Renewables, Inc.
BlueFire Renewables Inc. (Irvine, CA) has signed two significant contracts in the past week that should guarantee the company's US Energy Department (DOE) loan guarantee approval for a planned 19 MMgy cellulosic ethanol facility in Fulton, MS. On Sept. 20, the company signed a 15-year offtake agreement with Tenaska Biofuels LLC for the purchase and sale of all ethanol produced at the Fulton plant. On Sept. 27, BlueFire also secured a 15-year feedstock supply contract with Cooper Marine & Timberlands (CMT). Beginning last February, the company applied for a $215 million loan guarantee from DOE which required matching feedstock and offtake agreements. The company is hopeful that financing for the plant will be finalized by year-end. BlueFire has invested $19 million into the $293 million project so far and has obtained an $88 million federal grant, of which about $81 million remains to be used for plant construction.
No earlier than December 2012, Cooper Marine will begin delivering 770 dry tons per day of locally sourced wood waste, including wood chips, forest waste, construction waste and storm debris, to the Fulton ethanol plant. In addition to ethanol, the facility will generate 8.5 megawatts of power, which will provide all the facility with all of its energy needs. Most of the feedstock will be acquired from within a 40-mile radius of the Fulton plant, according to Klann, and will cost BlueFire $25 per ton. Once production commences, Tenaska Biofuels will acquire all of the fuel produced based on a pricing contract indexed to ethanol prices for the area to which the fuel is being delivered, minus transportation costs.
PRESS RELEASE
BlueFire Renewables Signs 15 Year Feedstock Supply Contract for Fulton, MS Cellulosic Ethanol Facility
BlueFire Renewables, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BFRE), a company focused on changing the world's transportation fuel paradigm through the production of renewable fuels from non-food cellulosic wastes, announced a contract with Cooper Marine & Timberlands to provide feedstock for BlueFire's planned cellulosic ethanol facility in Fulton, MS for a period of up to 15 years.
Under the agreement, Cooper Marine & Timberlands ("CMT") will supply BlueFire's Fulton, Mississippi project with all of the feedstock required to produce approximately 19-million gallons of ethanol per year from locally sourced cellulosic materials such as wood chips, forest residual chips, pre-commercial thinnings and urban wood waste such as construction waste, storm debris, land clearing; or manufactured wood waste from furniture manufacturing.
"This agreement is another significant step forward for BlueFire and we are excited to have CMT's participation in our Fulton Project. Coupled with our recently-announced off-take agreement with Tenaska BioFuels, LLC, the key input and output contracts required for financing are now resolved," stated Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Renewables, Inc. "This is a very exciting time for BlueFire Renewables as we complete the final steps to bringing cellulosic ethanol to fruition in the U.S. marketplace."
Under the Agreement, CMT will pursue a least-cost strategy for feedstock supply made possible by the project site's proximity to feedstock sources and the flexibility of BlueFire's process to use a wide spectrum of cellulosic waste materials in pure or mixed forms.
Cooper Marine Timberlands (CMT), with several chip mills in operation in Mississippi and Alabama, is a member company of Cooper/T. Smith one of America's oldest and largest stevedoring and maritime related firms with operations on all three U.S. coasts and foreign operations in Central and South America.
"Responsible biomass production has an important role to play in improving the state of local economies. We look forward to utilizing our extensive experience in biomass feedstock procurement and logistics in establishing a sustainable biomass feedstock supply chain for BlueFire's Fulton Project," stated Phil Willingham, Executive Vice President of Cooper Marine and Timberlands.
The Fulton, MS project will put to work Mississippi's significant biomass resources to create economic development and job creation in Mississippi. It will establish the platform for developing American energy self-sufficiency from readily available local resources.
About BlueFire Renewables, Inc.
BlueFire Renewables, Inc. was established to deploy a commercially ready, patented and proven Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic waste materials ("Green Waste") to renewable fuel sources, including Cellulosic Ethanol, Biodiesel, BioJet Fuel, and Drop-in Directs. BlueFire is the only cellulose-to-fuel company worldwide with demonstrated production of Biofuels from urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws, wood waste and other agricultural residues.
BlueFire received an increase to its Grant totaling $88 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in December of 2009. BlueFire's biorefineries will be located near markets with high demand for ethanol and will use locally available biomass. This should dramatically reduce delivery costs and increase biofuel supplies, while providing a unique waste processing technology to help America's cities better manage the increasing problem of overflowing landfills. For more information, please visit www.BFREINC.com.
If you would like to receive regular updates on BlueFire Renewables, please select this following link: www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1437&to=ea&s=0.
About Cooper Marine & Timberlands:
Cooper Marine & Timberlands (CMT), a Cooper/T. Smith company headquartered in Mobile, has utilized its strengths to build one of the largest forest product systems in the South. With a self-contained cost base and through vertical integration, Cooper, Marine & Timberlands covers every dimension in the sale and production of forest products. Their chip mills, wood yards, pushboats, barges, barge fleets, and port facilities have allowed them to truly become a lowest cost operator.
Cooper/T. Smith is one of America's oldest and largest maritime service related firms with operations on all three U.S. coasts encompassing thirty-eight ports, as well as foreign operations in Brazil, Canada and Mexico. The Company also maintains ownership in numerous satellite businesses, complementing the Company objectives.
Cooper/T. Smith is a progressive and innovative organization employing thousands. Its subsidiaries include warehousing, insurance, terminal operations, tugboats, push boats, barging, barge fleeting, floating terminals, and forest products. In fact, the Company impacts an astonishing array of industries throughout the country, from agriculture and energy to chemicals and construction.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements about BlueFire Renewables expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as the term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. BlueFire's actual results could differ materially from expected results. BlueFire undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. Should events occur which materially affect any comments made within this press release; BlueFire will appropriately inform the public.
This press release includes statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). BlueFire Renewables, Inc. claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the terms "may," "believes," "projects," "expects," or "anticipates," and do not reflect historical facts. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: our successful development and deployment of ethanol production facility or facilities, impact of the company's expansion plan, and new business development success, future financial results, the impact of competitive products or pricing from technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations contained in any such forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: failure to manage operating expenses or integrate new facilities and/or technologies, each of which could have a material impact on our business, our financial results, and the company's stock price. These risks and other factors are detailed in the Company's regular filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Most of these factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date they are made and BlueFire Renewables, Inc. does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.
BlueFire Company Contact:
Richard Klann
BlueFire Renewables, Inc.
rgklann@bluefireethanol.com.
949.588.3767, ext. 411
www.bluefireethanol.com.
BlueFire Media Contact:
Laura Finlayson
Beckerman
lfinlayson@beckermanpr.com.
201-465-8007
BlueFire Investor Relations:
Scott Kitcher
EcoFin Consulting
skitcher@ecofinconsulting.com.
949.435.2056
Cooper/T. Smith Contact
Jeff Weston
Cooper/T. Smith Corp.
jeff.weston@coopertsmith.com.
251-415-3018
Cooper/T. Smith Contact
Phil Willingham
Cooper Marine & Timberlands Corp.
phil.willingham@coopertsmith.com.
251-441-2062
Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin