WILLEMSTAD - Steamboat Fuels, LLC, on Tuesday announced plans to build and operate a renewable raw materials pre-treatment facility in Bullen Bay. This Texas company develops renewable energy feedstock solutions for the global energy industry.
Steamboat has signed a letter of intent with government company Refineria di Kòrsou (RdK) for the lease of a 4.7-hectare site in Bullen Bay. They need this land for the factory and storage facilities. The use of a jetty is also necessary for the transport of vegetable oil raw materials by tanker.
With these plans, Steamboat hopes to meet the increasing demand for pre-treated vegetable oils. These oils are used for the production of environmentally friendly renewable diesel. When the final investment decision is made in the second quarter of 2022, Steamboat Fuels is expected to create more than 600 jobs during the 18-month construction period.
In addition, it is expected that another 130 permanent jobs will be created. These are probably filled in by local Curaçao employees.
Pending the final investment decision, Steamboat Fuels expects to complete construction of the facility within 18 to 22 months. The installation can be used immediately after construction and commissioning.
Harold McLallen, founder, president, and chief executive officer of Steamboat Fuels, said that Curaçao was chosen because of its established maritime infrastructure. According to McLallen, the initial $180 million investment shows their company's commitment to leading the way in promoting cleaner energy.
“The people of Curaçao have spoken out in favour of new and better jobs as well as cleaner energy,” said RdK director Patrick Newton. “This project answers both questions with high paying jobs while contributing to the world's energy solution. The land lease and economic benefits to local businesses brought in by Steamboat make this a win-win-win project for our community.”
In addition, Steamboat has also engaged the management of Steamboat Royal Haskoning DHV, the company that has drawn up the Curaçao policy for environmental permits. They will advise Steamboat and supervise the environmental permit application to ensure that the pre-treatment meets the environmental management standards of Curaçao. The Steamboat application will be the first to be submitted to the Curaçao government for review and approval since the new policy was enacted in 2016.