Castor biomass project set for Paraguay

A wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based BioPower Operations, simply named BioPower, has agreed to develop a castor plantation and milling operation in Paraguay.

Under the terms of the agreement Ambrosia, a development company, will provide the land, pay costs for the testing and give BioPower a monthly $45,000 (€35,100) project management fee and reimbursement of expenses during the test period for subcontractors on the ground in Paraguay.

BioPower will provide project management testing services through the testing phase for up to 12 months until the successful certification of the yield from growing castor is proven, subject to material and adverse events.

Once the project is approved then, under the Castor Master Farm Management Services agreement, $10 million will be invested from Ambrosia towards the building, development and operations of the castor plantation and mill.

BioPower will either earn 6% of the net income for 10 years or have an option to become a 20% owner of the project.

‘We are pleased to have the rare opportunity to work with an organisation like Ambrosia, which also supports our long-term vision of developing profitable sustainable solutions converting biomass into useful and valuable products,’ says NioPower CEO Robert Kohn. ‘It is our intention to complete the certification of the yield requirement and prove the business model warrants a investment in the Paraguay project beyond the first stage.’