MEDIA RELEASE
Today was a big day at the Kawaihae project site for Big Island Carbon. One of the key pieces of custom-built equipment, the heart and soul of the operation, was carefully transported from the port in Kawaihae by truck and then lifted in to place on three pylons. The wood crating surrounding the equipment will remain in place as protection until the building is constructed over the equipment at which time the crate will be dismantled.
“We are thrilled with this huge step in our company’s progress,” said Big Island Carbon CEO Rick Vidgen. “The kiln was originally damaged in transit on its way from Concordia, Kansas to the West Coast for shipping to Hawaii back in September when another truck rear-ended the low-boy trailer on which it was traveling. It is a relief to see the rebuilt kiln now in place.â€
Big Island Carbon is building a $25 million plant on four acres of land in the Kaie Hana Industrial Park at Kawaihae on the Big Island’s leeward coast. The land is leased from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
BIC will convert feedstock (macadamia nut shells) produced on island into Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), a valuable product for sale in national and international markets to pharmaceutical, environmental, and other industries. A significant quantity of biofuel, a by-product of the process, will be sold for use on the island or used in the process to produce power.
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