Aina Koa Pono's Team

 

		MELE Associates, Inc. is a Veteran-owned (VOSB), minority-owned, award winning small business that provides services in program management, information systems, engineering and alternative energy solutions.  MELE Associates will organize the building site prior to construction and supervise the construction contractors performing the installation of the biorefineries for AKP.  They will also oversee the initial operations of the biorefineries and perform the initial test runs of biomass through the system to ensure proper operation.  MELE Associates will act as the design build contractor as well, managing the design engineers and coordinating the TRI technology with the utilities.
		AECOM is a leading provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, but operates three offices in Hawai’i — two in Honolulu and one in Hilo. With these local ties and its international and multidiscipline experience, AECOM’s partnership will be essential in helping Hawai‘i reach its clean energy goal of meeting 70 percent of its electricity and ground transportation needs from clean, renewable energy sources by 2030.
		The TekGar underlying technology is called thermo catalytic depolymerization. Many materials, such as plastics, rubber (tires), sewage sludge, and animal waste contain long chains of hydrocarbons called polymers. For example, a typical fat molecule is C50H92O6. Diesel fuel consists of relatively short hydrocarbon (CH) chains 16 to 20 units long. The catalytic depolymerization process involves controlled heating of the feedstock to break apart the long chains. A chemical catalyst, zeolite, is used to isolate the diesel fuel. The chemistry of the catalytic depolymerization has been known since the late 1950’s. It is related to “catalytic cracking”, a standard method used in refinery operations to produce transportation fuels from heavy oils and waxes. This technology has only recently become commercially viable when bionics made a critical breakthrough by employing pulsed microwaves as the primary source of reaction energy in combination with a zeolite catalyst.
		Founded in 1996, ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc. (TRI) is commercializing the conversion of biomass to energy through thermo-chemical gasification.  TRI’s advanced gasification technology enables them to gasify solid biomass, liquid biomass and co-process feedstocks, making them stand out above other technologies.  Their process produces a very high quality synthesis, also making them stand out. TRI will assist with the biorefinery operations of AKP and provide their patented steam reforming technology.
		Eichleay Engineers of California Inc. provides “power and process facility” engineering through a wide range of services in engineering, procurement, project management and client staff augmentation.  Eichleay was founded in 1875 as a structural moving business, and has progressed into a full-service engineering firm over the past 130 years.  Eichleay is highly qualified in designing specialized, technologically complex process facilities throughout the country.  AKP will work with Eichleay to design and build the biorefineries in Hawai'i.
North Shore Consultants, LLC		North Shore Consultants is a leading Hawai'i environmental and permitting consultant, and will assist in all of the environmental reviews and permitting required for the Project.
		Bionics Fuel Technologies AG (BFT) is based in Gross-Gerau, Germany and specializes in advanced fuel technology that enables it to produce liquid fuel and co-process feedstocks into useable products.  BFT will assist ‘Āina Koa Pono with biorefinery operations and provide its patented technology.