Project Overview
The Project is located on a 100-acre parcel situated in Hendry County, just south of Lake Okeechobee Florida, proximate to the vast sugarcane growing area of South Florida, a source of some of the bagasse raw material for the fiber plant. The site offers a number of key logistical advantages: (i) the major east/west trucking route of FL-27, which connects the Project to the Florida East Coast Railroad’s (“FEC”) Lake Harbor Terminal; (ii) the Project is situated on 100 acres of farmland in Clewiston, FL.; and (iii) the fact that the processing facility is located nearby sugar companies growing and harvesting the sugarcane. FEC connects the Project to the Port of Fort Pierce, which currently services the sugar farms in Hendry and Palm Beach Counties. FEC provides access to all major rail locations through the CSX and Norfolk Southern transfer station in Jacksonville.
Everglades Agricultural Area
The Everglades Agricultural Area is comprised of 700,000 acres of farmland south of Central Florida in and around Lake Okeechobee. About 500,000 of those acres are devoted to sugarcane, which is grown and harvested and delivered to large sugar processing companies in the area. The leftover bagasse (biomass) is generally burned or otherwise discarded, and SRF plans to use a significant portion of this leftover feedstock to convert to pulp fiber, to meet not only growing demand for non deforested sources of pulp fiber, but also increasing environmental awareness of the disposition of waste biomass.
What makes us different
Southeast Renewable Fuels has the ability to create highest-quality Pulp Fiber, from environmentally friendly plant-based waste product. Most notably, the feedstock that the SRF plant will be using (as a replacement from deforestation) is exclusively from agricultural waste, and is harvested and delivered within a strict 35-mile radius of the plant (thus cutting down on the environmental impact of transporting over great distances). Example products made from pulp: Paper towel, napkins, toilet paper and other consumer products.
SRF Fiber Project Accomplishments
Southeast Renewable Fuels has made tremendous progress since initially developing its overall business plan and first project. Below is a list of accomplishments to date:
We have completed over 24 months of agricultural field trials
Purchased the first site
Received a Florida State Grant for $2.5M. SRF was selected as the #1 premier biomass project out of 60 applicants
In discussion with major cement manufacturers and chemical companies to purchase 100% of the company’s Lignin waste product
The company has entered into two agreements with feedstock suppliers which will provide as much as 150% of the plant’s feedstock requirement. The Company also intends to obtain readily available excess sugar cane bagasse from the local mills.
Obtained State of Florida approval to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds
Completed more than $5mm in Earthworks on the company’s 100 acre site
Completed significant preliminary and detailed engineering
Signed a 15-year Off take, Sales & Marketing Agreement with the Ekman Group: the world’s largest seller of pulp fiber. A 35% guaranteed purchase by Ekman Group assures 100% debt service repayment.
Reached an agreement with AgroPulp, India’s premier supplier of pulp fiber producing equipment, process engineering and technology provider
SRF Fiber Project Gallery
Project Overview
The Project is comprised of a pulp mill, renewable power plant, wastewater treatment plant, and onsite storage on a 100 acre site in Clewiston, Florida which will produce 300+ Bone Dry Tons Per Day (“BDTPD”) of bleached pulp. The pulp mill will be constructed under a construction and equipment procurement agreement with AgroPulp, a leading supplier of pulp fiber plants worldwide.
Management Team
Aaron PepperChief Executive Officer
Aaron Pepper, born March 4, 1949 in Brooklyn, NY, graduated from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, 1972. Pepper graduated with two Bachelor’s Degrees (Business Management and Physical Education). Pepper also has a Masters Degree in Health Education from City College of New York. He was a Physical Education teacher in NYC, Board of Education, 1972-1974. He entered the business world in 1974 as President and founder of Starline Novelties, Inc., of Holbrook, NY, a poster and school products manufacturer and distributor of licensed products of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Disney, Warner Bros. and numerous rock star and other children’s properties…Read more
Carlos Rionda, P.E. Executive Vice President
Carlos Rionda is a professional engineer and President of SRF. Prior to joining SRF, Mr. Rionda was Vice President of Florida Crystals Corporation and General Manager and Vice President of Osceola Farms Company, a subsidiary of Florida Crystals Corporation. Prior to that Mr. Rionda was the CEO of the World Wide Group, Gang Nail Systems, based in Florida and reported to the Managing Director of Redland PLC, in the United Kingdom. Mr.Rionda has significant manufacturing, engineering and management experience of process industries….Read more
Don MarkleyExecutive Vice President
Don Markley became Executive Vice President of SRF in 2008 after serving in a similar position for Losonoco, Inc. Prior to this Mr. Markley worked with Malcolm Pirnie Inc. as an employee or consultant since 1990, with experience in all aspects of waste management programs, including recycling, waste-to-energy, and resource recovery facilities. His experience includes: project development, permitting and design phases, contract negotiations, construction and operations monitoring. In addition, Mr. Markley served as a resident construction manager on five waste-to-energy facilities in Florida with a value of over $1 billion in capital improvements…Read more
Other Key Personnel
Jerry PaulFlorida and DOE Governmental Relations
Mr. Paul, a nuclear engineer and attorney, is the President and Managing Member of Capitol Energy, LLC, a government affairs consulting firm specializing in energy related matters. Jerry formerly served as the elected representative of Florida’s 71st district in the Florida House of Representatives. His primary areas of focus have been energy, environment, national and homeland security…Read more
He is well-recognized both in Florida and Washington, D.C. as a leading voice on energy policy and government’s role in energy transformation. He also serves as the Distinguished Energy Fellow on the faculty at the University of Tennessee, Howard Baker Center for Public Policy.
Mr. Paul formerly served as America’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear security administration (NNSA). Appointed by Pres. Bush in Feb. 2004 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. As COO, he managed the NNSA enterprise which includes its budget of $10 Billion and 37,000 federal, military and contractor personnel charged with carrying out the national security responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Energy. Some of his responsibilities included ensuring the reliability, security and safety of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons complex, reducing the global threat of nuclear proliferation and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, providing the U.S. Navy with safe, efficient nuclear propulsion power plants for its submarine and aircraft carrier fleet and responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies both in the U.S. and worldwide. Mr. Paul currently serves as an appointed member of the Congressionally authorized, National Academy of Sciences Study Committee for the Evaluation of Quantification of Margins and Uncertainty Methodology Applied to the Certification of the Nation’s Nuclear Weapons Stockpile.
Dr. Marco A. Baez Vasquez,
Ph.D., MBA. Chief Scientific Officer
Post Doc work at MIT in Cambridge, Mass., Ph.D. and MSc.-Kings College London, University of London, England, MBA – Monterrey Tech., Mexico. 20 years experience in industrial biotechnology and renewable energy space. Strong track record for directing/project management of research and development operations in Europe, South America…Read more
& U.S. innovation and commercialization integration of systems biology, genomics, proteomics
and bioinformatics. Strain and fermentation process development experience for the production of enzymes, biopolymers and therapeutic proteins. Strong experience cellulosic biomass to biofuels, biorefineries and green chemistry. Hold several patents and participated in peer review platform programs for various agencies.
Jason Langdale Agricultural Consultant
Jason R. Langdale, a native Floridian farmer/consultant, specializing in “Sugarcane and Sorghum”, with over twenty years of farming experience with a background in business. Prior to establishing his own consulting firm, Mr. Langdale, a former Executive Team Member at United States Sugar Corporation, successfully managed over 55,000 acres of sugarcane. A Certified Crop Advisor, USDA Variety Selection Committee Member, NCRS (National Conservation and Resource Society) Board Member, local Drainage District Board Member (2006-2009), along with several sugarcane land awards. Past publications by the USDA…Read more
infrastructure (farm design, personnel and organization). Mr. Langdale’s main focus is to provide information, knowledge and services for the betterment of the “Agriculture” industry.
Contact Us
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Contact Information
Southeast Renewable Fuels LLC
4901 NW 17th Way-Suite 405
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, 33309
954-999-0966