ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aymium, the leading producer of renewable biocarbon products, announced today that it closed $210 Million of financing to construct a biocarbon production facility in Williams, California. The facility will support the first large-scale continuous use of advanced biocarbon to replace coal in power generation in the world. Use of the product from the Williams facility to replace coal will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 500,000 metric tons per year—equivalent to removing over 120,000 cars from the road annually. Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
“We are excited to have the support from such an experienced group of investors from Asia, North America and Europe,” said James Mennell, CEO of Aymium. “These groups share a profound commitment to decarbonization and have come together to advance this technology that will create a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for many years.”
The facility will be funded by a global group of investors dedicated to next-generation decarbonization technologies. Senior debt, in the form of green bonds, will be provided jointly by ECP ForeStar and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) through its Green Credit Fund. Subordinated debt will be provided by Japan Green Investment Corp. for Carbon Neutrality (“JICN”) and Aymium. Equity for the project will come from Hokuriku Electric Power Company, Nippon Steel Trading, and Aymium.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said: “A global threat like climate change demands a global solution. The only way to tackle a challenge of this magnitude is by thinking and collaborating across borders. With the United States and Japan cooperating on a multitude of areas related to energy and the environment, Aymium’s groundbreaking biocarbon production facility is the latest project to benefit from this flourishing relationship.”
Reiner Boehning, Managing Partner of ECP ForeStar said: “Aymium, together with its partners, has developed a proven production process that is an important building block to help decarbonize industrial processes, like steel making, and power generation. We are thrilled to be part of the investor group that finances the construction of Aymium’s next production facility in Williams, California.”
Jakob Groot, Partner at CIP and co-head of its Green Credit Fund, said: “We are proud to be part of this experienced lending consortium that is supporting Aymium in financing the construction of the Williams project and Hokuriku Electric in their continued decarbonization efforts. This financing represents an attractive opportunity for us and our investors to make yet another meaningful contribution to the green transition.”
Aymium produces the only commercially demonstrated carbon-negative product for replacing coal in power generation. Aymium’s renewable product is created through a non-combustion process that converts waste biomass to high purity biocarbon. The product is specifically engineered to immediately replace fossil coal without the need for any type of plant investment or process modification. The product has superior energy value, handling, and environmental attributes to coal. The process uses third-party certified sustainable waste biomass and is powered by self-generated renewable energy. Aymium’s process and product technologies are protected by more than 500 issued and pending patents. Aymium’s investors include Hokuriku Electric, Nippon Steel Trading, Rio Tinto and Steel Dynamics. Morgan Stanley served as debt arranger to Aymium in this transaction.
About Aymium
Aymium produces high-value biocarbon and biohydrogen products that can be used to immediately replace fossil fuels in the production of energy, metals, crops, and in the purification of water and air with no modifications to equipment or processes. Produced using sustainably sourced biomass – recovered and unusable wood – Aymium’s bioproducts are renewable, carbon-negative and they replace emission-heavy fossil fuels such as coal and coke. Aymium’s leading technology is backed by more than 500 issued or pending patents on a global basis. Aymium is headquartered in Minnesota, USA.
About Hokuriku Electric Power Company
Established in 1951, Hokuriku Electric Power Company is a comprehensive energy company that aims to contribute to the development of the Hokuriku region through the stable supply of affordable and high-quality energy. The company's vision for the future is to “develop together with Hokuriku and deliver new value nationwide and overseas,” and it is expanding its business beyond the existing electric power business while contributing to social issues such as addressing the global warming, sustainable development of the region, and the realization of a smart society.
About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X.
CIP manages 12 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 28 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 160 international institutional investors. CIP has approximately 500 employees and 12 offices around the world. For more information, visit www.cip.com.
About Japan Green Investment Corp. for Carbon Neutrality
Japan Green Investment Corp. for Carbon Neutrality (“JICN”) is a fund established through public-private partnership of the Japanese Government and Japanese private institutions, headquartered in Tokyo, JAPAN. JICN provides financing in the form of preferred equity investment and mezzanine or subordinated loans for startups and projects that contribute to the carbon neutrality as well as virtuous cycle between the environment and the economy.
About Nippon Steel Trading
Nippon Steel Trading Corporation is the core trading company of NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION Group, and was established in October 2013 through the merger of Nippon Steel Trading Co., Ltd. and Sumikin Bussan Corporation. The company continues to grow as a multiple specialty trading company operating four integrated core businesses: Steel, Industrial Supply & Infrastructure, Textiles, and Foodstuffs.
