BioJet and CERT form strategic business relationship

The Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) and BioJet International have formed a strategic alliance to further the development of biojet fuel.

BioJet International is a supply chain integrator in renewable (bio)jet fuel and related co-products which include green diesel for the aviation and related commercial transportation sectors.

In 2011 BioJet received a $1.2 billion (€970 million) funding facility commitment to capitalise its supply chain projects programme, which includes feedstock and refining projects, in addition to investments and related strategic acquisitions.

Its biofuel operations include feedstock generation, technology, refining, logistics, sustainability certification, distribution, and eventual end use by the aviation sector.

CERT is made up of 57 sovereign Indian tribes. Its members manage millions of acres of agricultural lands from which feedstock for biofuels may be grown.

Its members also collectively own and manage over 30% of the coal west of Mississippi, 40% of domestic uranium and 10% of known national oil and gas reserves in the US.

Speaking about the new business relationship, BioJet CEO Mitch Hawkins says: 'We envision the scope of our business relationship broadly with CERT to include at least $1 billion worth of joint projects over a 10-year period locating feedstock generation and refining operations to provide biofuels for commercial airlines and ground transportation at key locations throughout the western United States.'

David Lester, CERT executive director, says: 'We believe our sovereign tribal members together with BioJet are well suited to lead one of the largest economic transitions in history: the transition from a fossil-based to a biofuel-based transportation sector, and on a larger scale the transition to building a foundation for sustainable tribal communities and an infrastructure for United States energy independence.

'This effort will be led for CERT by Robert Martin, former National Ombudsman of the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC, as leader of the RES Alliance with which BioJet is a strategic partner. We are poised for a long transition period wherein biofuels gain large market share not only from fossil fuels but also from ethanol,' he adds.

CERT and BioJet expect to conclude a Memorandum of Agreement in the next 60 days to define the terms of their participation.