Proposed $1.35 Billion for World's Largest Carbon Negative RNG Facility
RESERVE, La. – Woodland Biofuels (the “Company”), Inc., announced a planned $1.35 billion investment at the Port of South Louisiana to establish the world’s largest carbon negative renewable natural gas plant / ultra-green hydrogen facility. Phase 1 of this project is the largest carbon negative renewable natural gas facility globally. Phase 2 is the world’s largest carbon negative ultra-green hydrogen plant. The Toronto-based company will utilize waste biomass to produce sustainable biofuel used in transportation, heating and electricity generation.
Proposed $1.35 Billion Investment in Southeast Louisiana Would Establish the World’s Largest Carbon Negative Renewable Natural Gas
Woodland Biofuels expects Phase 1 of the project to create 110 direct new jobs in St. John the Baptist Parish.
The new facility would be located at the Globalplex multimodal facility at the Port of South Louisiana.
Commercial operations of the new facility are projected to begin in 2028.
RESERVE, La. – Woodland Biofuels (the “Company”), Inc., announced a planned $1.35 billion investment at the Port of South Louisiana to establish the world’s largest carbon negative renewable natural gas plant / ultra-green hydrogen facility. Phase 1 of this project is the largest carbon negative renewable natural gas facility globally. Phase 2 is the world’s largest carbon negative ultra-green hydrogen plant. The Toronto-based company will utilize waste biomass to produce sustainable biofuel used in transportation, heating and electricity generation.
In Phase 1 alone the company expects to create approximately 500 construction jobs and 110 high-paying, permanent, direct new jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that the project will result in 259 indirect new jobs for a total of 869 jobs, 369 of which are permanent.
The new facility will be located at the Globalplex multimodal facility at the Port of South Louisiana. The company expects to permanently remove hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually and store it safely underground. Phase 1 is expected to permanently remove 210,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Phase 2 will remove approximately 660,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Ultimately, the project is expected to be one of the largest carbon dioxide removal projects globally – permanently removing millions of tonnes of CO2 from the ecosystem.
“Woodland is thrilled to announce that we plan to build, right here at the Port of South Louisiana, the world’s largest carbon negative RNG facility, followed by the world’s largest carbon negative ultra-green hydrogen plant. Our sustainable biofuel plant will be an economic driver for St. John Parish and beyond,” Woodland Biofuels CEO Greg Nuttall said. “We look forward to establishing deep ties with the local community, drawing on the existing world-class workforce and utilizing Louisiana’s exceptional infrastructure to execute on our project.”
Commercial operations for the first phase are projected to start in 2028.
“With a multigenerational skilled workforce and abundant natural resources, there is no place in the world better positioned to help energy companies grow and thrive,” Secretary of Economic Development Susan Bourgeois said. “Woodland Biofuels’ project would bring high-paying jobs to the great people of St. John the Baptist Parish for years to come. The state looks forward to working with the company to bring this project to completion.”
"Port of South Louisiana is the second ranked port in the nation for energy transfer," Port of South Louisiana CEO Paul Matthews said. "This significant investment by Woodland Biofuels to construct the world’s largest carbon negative renewable natural gas plant and a large-scale green hydrogen facility at our Globalplex Intermodal Terminal proves that PortSL and the state of Louisiana are leading the way in diversifying our energy industry, which will result in the creation of hundreds of high-paying jobs for River Region families."
To support the project in Reserve, LED offered Woodland Biofuels a competitive incentives package that the Company values at more than $250 million, including performance-based grants, other economic development programs for infrastructure improvements and the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart. The company is expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
“Woodlands Biofuels is proof of the power of Louisiana and GNO’s ‘all of the above’ energy strategy,” Greater New Orleans, Inc President and CEO Michael Hecht said. “$1.3B plus 110 new jobs plus renewable natural gas and hydrogen is a winning formula for everyone. Congratulations to the Port of South Louisiana, and GNO, Inc. is glad to have been a partner for this outstanding project.”
Clean16 Honouree
The Clean50 annually offers recognition to Canada’s leaders in sustainability in 16 diverse categories that transcend numerous industries, academia, different levels of government, thought leaders and advocates.
The Clean50 annually offers recognition to Canada’s leaders in sustainability in 16 diverse categories that transcend numerous industries, academia, different levels of government, thought leaders and advocates. The leader in each of the 16 categories is also declared to be part of the “Clean16″, identifying those 16 individual honourees as the top contributor in each of their respective categories.
In making Woodland a member of the Clean16, the Clean 50 people stated, in part, that “Greg and his team are showing us how carbon negative operations can end with positive outcomes for all – as they produce carbon negative, renewable fuel at extremely low cost. Woodland’s technology uses waste biomass to generate carbon negative hydrogen, renewable natural gas (RNG), methanol and ethanol, resulting in up to a 283% reduction in GHG emissions. This works out to a whopping 454,000+ tonnes of CO2e reduced each year!”
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Inaugural ranking reveals the Future 50 Fastest Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada
Woodland Biofuels was named one of the Future 50 Fastest-Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada. Selected from a pool of 5,115 Canadian companies published by Corporate Knights to highlight emerging Canadian companies whose business activities align with the transition to a clean economy.
PRESS RELEASE
This morning, the inaugural Future 50 Fastest-Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada were announced in Calgary, Alberta.
We are thrilled to share that we’ve been selected by Corporate Knights as a Future 50 company.
Selected from a pool of 5,115 Canadian companies (1,100 public, 4,015 private), the ranking is published by Corporate Knights to highlight emerging Canadian companies whose business activities align with the transition to a clean economy. The ranking considered companies’ revenue, capital expenditure, acquisitions, research and development, and employment and was then refined to include the top 25 publicly traded companies and top 25 privately-owned companies gaining significant traction in the fight against climate change.
Greg Nuttall, CEO of Woodland Biofuels, said “It’s wonderful to have the significance of what we are doing recognized by Corporate Knights, the world’s leading expert on ranking sustainable corporations. We are committed to producing carbon-negative biofuels at the lowest cost on the planet. Our process actually cleans up the atmosphere of excess CO2 while at the same time generating essential energy products like hydrogen, RNG, methanol and ethanol. It’s a pleasure to not only celebrate our company’s success but also to witness the success of Canada’s business community in the fight to lower emissions and enable a more sustainable future for generations to come.”
Corporate Knights, a Canadian media and research B Corp committed to advancing a sustainable economy, has been producing global corporate and fund rankings for nearly 20 years. The Future 50 Fastest-Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada looks to feature emerging companies whose energy and innovation leave them poised to be the market leaders in the future.
“All companies are now in the business of dealing with climate change, whether they like it or not, so their ability to not only adapt but also continue innovating and growing amidst uncertainty is admirable. Our reason for devising this unique list is our belief in the success of these companies being pivotal to creating a more sustainable Canada, as well as acting as inspiration for other entrepreneurs,” says Toby Heaps, founder and CEO of Corporate Knights.
The Future 50 list includes companies from a number of different sectors and Canadian provinces, providing tangible examples of how a net-zero economy can create an abundance of new opportunities. From biofuels and batteries to vegan butchers and low-carbon cement, the Future 50 companies are in the vanguard of decarbonization.
SELECTING THE FUTURE 50
To determine the starting universe, Corporate Knights gathered revenue data from both companies and data aggregators such as S&P Capital IQ and Refinitiv. Companies were also invited to contribute data to the Corporate Knights Research Hub.
A UNIQUE RANKING
While Corporate Knights’ flagship ranking profiles the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, the Future 50 ranking features emerging companies whose energy and innovation leaves them poised to become market leaders in the future.
EXPERTS IN RANKING METHODOLOGIES
With 20 years of experience developing and executing business rankings, Corporate Knights has positioned itself as an expert in ranking methodologies. To assist in the publication of this inaugural ranking, a Future 50 advisory panel consisting of eight members was also created.
To ensure the credibility of all its rankings, Corporate Knights assumes a transparent approach to publishing its data and methodologies. By making information available, anyone can verify Corporate Knights’ findings.
RANKING PHILOSOPHY
Corporate Knights strive to publish fair, meaningful and transparent rankings. By analyzing quantitative and measurable results associated with numerous indicators, Corporate Knights leverage data in a way that paints a bigger picture.
A MULTIPRONGED APPROACH
Future 50 companies span sectors and provinces. The diversity of these companies, as well as the solutions they’ve developed, speak to the importance of embracing a multipronged approach to addressing climate change. Companies from sectors and all stages of development can lead in the transition to a more sustainable economy.
Click here to read more about Woodland Biofuels and the Future 50 Companies
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