GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cool Planet Energy Systems, a developer of small-scale bio-refineries for the conversion of non-food biomass into biofuels and soil enhancing biochar, today announced they have chosen URS Corporation as the front-end engineering and design contractor for Cool Planet’s first commercial facility. URS will work to design the wood waste to cellulosic gasoline plant, which will be located in Alexandria, Louisiana.
“Choosing URS to complete the design of our first commercial facility was similar to forging a strategic partnership,” said Cool Planet Chief Executive Officer Howard Janzen. “We trust in URS to help us build one of the most important plants in our company’s history by bringing unmatched technical breadth and capabilities to the project.”
“Cool Planet has a technology that we believe could enhance the alternative fuels market, and we are pleased to be involved in its deployment,” said Mark Costello, General Manager for the URS Industrial/Process Group. “We look forward to an excellent long-term working relationship.”
As announced by Cool Planet and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal in August, Cool Planet will break ground on the Alexandria project in early 2014 and expects to have the facility operating before the end of the year. The plant will produce 10 million gallons per year of cellulosic gasoline and soil enhancing biochar, which is a byproduct of the refining process and is used as an agricultural supplement.
“Given its significant process engineering expertise near our world headquarters in Greenwood Village, Colorado, URS is readily available to apply its integrated engineering and construction expertise in support of the Louisiana project,” said Al Rettenmaier, Cool Planet’s Vice President of Capital Projects. “We chose URS because we know they have the talent to ensure we are successful with our first plant, as well as to deliver a design that could be replicated across the United States.”
About Cool Planet
Cool Planet is deploying disruptive technology through capital efficient, small scale biorefineries, to economically convert non-food biomass into high-octane, drop-in biofuels. The process also generates value through biochar production, which can be returned to the soil, enabling fertilizer and water retention for increased crop productivity, and more robust plant health. The process can be carbon negative, removing up to 150 percent of the carbon footprint for every gallon used, reversing the consequences of fossil fuels. Cool Planet’s technology has a broad portfolio of pending and granted patents. Global investors include BP, Google Ventures, Energy Technology Ventures (GE, ConocoPhillips, NRG Energy), and the Constellation division of Exelon.
About URS Corporation
URS Corporation is a leading provider of engineering, construction, and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies around the world. The Company offers a full range of program management; planning, design and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance; construction and construction management; operations and maintenance; information technology; and decommissioning and closure services. URS provides services for federal, oil and gas, infrastructure, power, and industrial projects and programs. Headquartered in San Francisco, URS has more than 50,000 employees in a network of offices in nearly 50 countries (www.urs.com).
Connect with Cool Planet on Facebook at facebook.com/CoolPlanetEnergySystems, on Twitter at twitter.com/CoolPlanetFuels and at www.coolplanet.com.
