About BlueFire Renewables
BlueFire Renewables, Inc’s (“BlueFire”) use of the Arkenol patented process positions it as the only viable, world-wide cellulose conversion company with demonstrated production experience from wood wastes, urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws and other agricultural residues.
BlueFire was established to deploy the proven Arkenol Process Technology (“Technology”) for the conversion of cellulosic waste materials into renewable fuels and other products. BlueFire is the exclusive North America licensee of the technology and its goal is to develop and operate high-value cellulose conversion facilities. These “biorefineries” will convert widely available, inexpensive, organic materials such as agricultural residues, high-content biomass crops, wood residues, and cellulose in municipal solid wastes into valuable and renewable end products.
BlueFire’s technology is extremely versatile, both in its ability to utilize a wide variety of feedstocks and in the end-products that it can produce. This versatility enables BlueFire to consider a wide variety of feedstocks and locations in which to develop facilities to become the lowest cost producer of renewable products from cellulosic sugars.
With the research and development work completed, patent protections in place, the product markets researched, and several full-scale BioEthanol projects currently in various stages of development, BlueFire is uniquely positioned to become the world leader in the development, ownership and operation of these biorefineries.
Management
Arnold R. Klann – Chairman / President / CEO
Mr. Klann has over thirty years of experience in corporate management, project finance, engineering, design, construction, start-up, environmental permitting, and real estate acquisition. Mr. Klann is the Chief Executive Officer for BlueFire Renewables. As cfounder of both BlueFire and technology licensor Arkenol, Inc., he has been responsible for the successful development or acquisition of over 610 megawatts of natural gas-fired cogeneration facilities, and been the driving force behind the research and development effort leading to the commercialization of the Arkenol technology. Prior to founding ARK Energy, he successfully launched three businesses and managed complex teams for project development and operation. Areas of technical expertise include cogeneration development using natural gas-fired and solid fuels technologies, ocean thermal energy conversion, and offshore oil exploration design and operations.
As Vice President of Engineering and Product Development for GWF Power Systems Company, led technical commercialization, development and permitting activities for eight petroleum coke and coal-fired power plants. Specializes in frontier technology development. A.A. (electrical engineering) 1972, Lakeland College.
John E. Cuzens – Chief Technology Officer – Consulting basis
Mr. Cuzens is the Chief Technology Officer for BlueFire Renewables on a consulting basis. He started with ARK Energy and Arkenol for six years and is the co-inventor on seven of Arkenol’s eight U.S. foundation patents for the conversion of cellulosic materials into fermentable sugar products using a modified strong acid hydrolysis process. His career resume records the successful completion of tens of projects valued cumulatively at more than a billion dollars. He has more than twenty years of project management experience punctuated frequently with engineering or R&D management assignments. Mr. Cuzens has served a Director of Projects for Wahlco Inc. and Manager of Engineering and Project Management for Applied Utility Systems, both engineering and fabrication companies producing environmental mitigation systems. He also served as Director of engineering and manufacturing for Hydrogen Burner Technology, a leader in partial oxidation production of hydrogen for process and fuel cell technologies. He was the lead Project Manager for Ultrasystems Engineers and Constructors in the process and biochemical division leading multimillion dollar R&D pilot plant construction projects for Fischer Tropsch and landfill gas benefaction facilities as well as project liaison for ethanol from grain and cheese whey facilities. His experience spans the power production, petrochemical, biotech and fuel cell industries. Mr. Cuzens has a B.S. Chemical Engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He is further a State of California, Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer, 1980, License No. 20891 and State of California, Contractors “A” License Responsible Managing Employee for ARK Energy, Inc. No.A700016.
Soo Kwan Shin- Executive VP / Operations
Mr. Shin is Executive Vice President of Operations for BlueFire Renewables. He has an extensive background in finance and corporate management with over 30 years of experience. He has started multiple companies focusing on corporate services, corporate finance, and energy finance. Previously he ran his own Venture Capital Company and was Managing Director of a Corporate Restructuring Company. He started as a manager for a long-term credit bank in Korea. He has an MBA from Kookmin University specializing in business management as well as has studied timber science. He is an advisor to the BlueFire Board of Directors for capital raising and other financial matters.