“Renewable methanol is emerging as a competitive alternative to decarbonize maritime transport and chemical industries, as well as a hydrogen carrier. We’re excited to participate in this landmark project in California, which addresses local challenges such as wildfire prevention while utilizing abundant residual biomass,” said Marcella Franchi, Chief Commercial Officer of Haffner Energy.
OroCarbo is based in Oroville, California, where farmland in the Central Valley meets the Sierra Nevada foothills. The project will use forestry residues from wildfire prevention management and agricultural waste from local orchards, allowing the plant to achieve its 100 tpd production target.
Brian Wong, founder and Managing Member of OroCarbo, LLC, explained the company’s origins: “OroCarbo was formed during COVID to find solutions for our local abundance of biomass, at a time when heavy smoke-laden air from local wildfires coupled with face masks made breathing, the most basic human need, difficult. Since then, OroCarbo has explored many pathways to develop solutions that will be practical, reliable, and cost effective with methanol coming out as the clear winner. We are very excited to be working with Haffner Energy and Maverick SynFuels to help decarbonize the chemical and marine industries. OroCarbo’s goal is to offer high value solutions for our supply chain, our customers, and our community.”
The project will deploy two SYNOCA® 20?MW modules from Haffner Energy to convert residual biomass into syngas. Maverick Synfuels’ conversion technology will then turn the syngas into biomethanol in a single integrated installation. Sam Yenne, co-founder and CEO of Maverick Synfuels, said: “We, at Maverick, are excited to be working with Haffner Energy and their superior technology for generating high quality syngas from biomass. And Brian Wong has done an excellent job in bringing together all of the key players for a successful biomass-to-biomethanol project.”
AmSpec, a global provider of testing, inspection, and certification services, will conduct the project’s CI study to quantify emissions and sustainability metrics.
The biomethanol produced is intended primarily for decarbonizing maritime transport, a key sector of California’s economy. The plant’s commissioning is scheduled for early 2028, with operations aimed at supporting regional sustainability goals while utilizing local biomass resources.
This project reflects a coordinated effort between technology providers and a local developer to convert abundant forestry and agricultural residues into renewable fuel, providing a pathway for reducing carbon emissions in industrial and transportation applications while benefiting the local community and supply chain.
