COLUMN: NEXT: Building Trust and Community

June 07, 2019

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by Chris Efird and Lou Soumas (The Chronicle) NEXT Renewable Fuels is building an advanced biofuel facility at Port Westward. Today we are in the planning and permitting stage. Beginning with this op-ed, we intend periodic updates on the project, so that Columbia County residents understand our plans, and know how to reach us to share questions and comments.

As we shape this project, there are several principles that are important to us that we want you to know.

• We’re planning a state-of-the-art facility that will allow Oregon to lead in the production of renewable fuels. This facility will only ever produce renewable fuels. Our permits will not allow us to produce anything else and we have neither interest nor intention of doing so.

• The economic benefits will be felt here in Columbia County and in Oregon. That means we will seek to hire locally, and we will not take tax breaks. We have already signed agreements with local unions for construction and potential operation of the facility, and we are exploring local training options for the 200+ operational staff that will be hired. We will be pursuing other local partnerships, such as providing our Advanced Green Diesel fuel for use in county vehicles in Columbia County.

• We want to bring the facility online as soon as possible, so that we can realize the benefits of this project for the community and for our investors. We are sensitive to the community impacts of truck and rail traffic. Our facility will use the Columbia River for movement of our products with minimal use of trucks and railcar to or from the site.

We have already secured 25-acres of land from Teevin Bros., and we have an option for an adjacent parcel. Recently, another piece of land at the Port has become available. The land is ideal for our project, and it would allow us to immediately move forward on permitting.

This new land is within the Columbia County enterprise zone, which gives access to certain benefits, including tax abatements. We want to be clear: if we secure this land, we will not accept any tax breaks; if we are not allowed to decline the tax break, we will make available an equivalent amount to fund local projects. We have estimated the property tax value to be approximately $36 million in just the first three years of operations, money that can and should support a range of community services. As with any large project, there are many details to be worked out, including how the funds would be collected and distributed. We are committed to doing that work.

At NEXT, we are interested in growing a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with the residents of Columbia County. We believe it is our job to earn your trust. To that end, we recently made our first local hire, Natasha Parvey, to lead community outreach. You will see her and us out and about at events this spring and summer. Please don’t hesitate to share your comments and questions. In the meantime, you can contact us at info@nextrenewables.com or learn more at www.nextrenewables.com. READ MORE

Where is NEXT Renewable Fuels going next and why we want them as a neighbor (Biofuels Digest)

NEXT Renewable Fuels Signs Agreement with UFCW 555 Labor Union for Operating Renewable Fuels Plant (NEXT Renewable Fuels)

Controversial Biofuels Project Gets Lease On Lower Columbia River (OPB)

Excerpts from Biofuels Digest: The decision to recycle the renewable propane is a smart choice since it further lowers their GHG emissions by limiting the need for external inputs such as natural gas. They tout much as 85 percent less greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum‐based diesel.

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Honeywell UOP is their technology partner – they are using Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining technology to convert renewable feedstocks into renewable diesels and related co‐products. Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining is currently used to produce about 30% of the global supply of renewable diesel fuels. With the addition of NEXT’s planned capacity the Ecofining process will account for over 50% of the global supply of these fuels.

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So who will NEXT be selling their products to? They already have some lined up and plan on selling mostly to West Coast markets in the U.S. and Canada. They signed a purchase and sale agreement with Shell this February and also hope to provide renewable products to several local users of diesel and LPGs. There is talk of selling their renewable propane and renewable naphtha to supply contracted off‐take agreements for customers in the western United States and Canada as well.

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One of the reasons we love this project is it goes beyond the business and into planet and people. Ok, the GHG emissions savings are awesome. Renewable feedstocks, great. Big deals already with Shell to sell product to and BP deal to bring in feedstocks, splendid. But what is even more impressive is the little things, like the fact that the finished product will move in and out of the port by ship, meaning little additional rail traffic. The fuels produced in Oregon will be shipped up and down the west coast and create an emissions savings equivalent to removing more than 1 million automobiles from the road.

And the people. NEXT is looking out for the local community with this project too. NEXT even hired a local businesswoman as their community representative to open dialogue with the citizens of Columbia County. They expect that the plant will engage hundreds of skilled, local tradespeople for the building phase – for a total of 2 million labor hours – and will hire more than 200 full‐time local employees once operational. The facility will contribute an estimated $12 million in local property taxes and $5.5 million in port fees annually.

Oh and did we mention, while the new site is in the Enterprise Zone, NEXT has committed that it will not accept any tax breaks, and will pay the full amount to the local community? How’s that for a friendly neighbor? READ MORE