Kauai ethanol plant moves forward

Pacific Business News ( July 10, 2007)

Gay & Robinson Inc. will move ahead with plans to establish an on-site plant that will convert its traditional sugar cane crop into electricity and ethanol, it announced Monday.

The 12 million-gallon-per-year plant will maintain 230 jobs on Kauai and could lead to the development of other renewable energy projects, the company said in a news release. It will be developed in partnership with Placentia, Calif.-based Pacific West Energy and will be the first facility in the United States to create power and ethanol from sugar juice and molasses.

"We're excited to partner with Pacific West Energy and begin transforming G&R from a commodity, raw sugar producer to a provider of renewable and alternative energy for Kauai and Hawaii," said Alan Kennett, president of G&R.

Design and engineering of the project's first phase -- an $80 million investment that includes a biomass boiler and turbine generator -- already is under way, according to the company, and air permits have been acquired.

The partnership, coined Gay & Robinson Ag-Energy, also will look into biodiesel production, methane recovery, waste processing, hydro power, biomass conversion and solar energy production.

Pacific West obtained equity funding from Vancouver-based venture capitalist Officers Row Capital, a move that brought Richard Keller, president, to be chairman of Pacific West.