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Tampa Port Authority OKs Lease Transfer To Biofuels Company

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 21, 2008

TAMPA - The Tampa Port Authority board today approved the transfer of a lease option from Port Sutton Envirofuels, a Bay area company that intended to build an ethanol plant at the port, to GreenHunter Energy Inc of Houston, which intends to build a biodiesel fuel plant.

The $70 million project initially would create 250 construction jobs and eventually 50 to 60 full-time jobs. The plant would take 12 to 18 months to build, port officials said

GreenHunter initially would use vegetable oil as a feedstock for the biofuels and later could use animal fat, port counsel Charles Klug said.

In other business, the board gave port director Richard Wainio an "overall outstanding" appraisal on his annual evaluation.

"He has led the port through difficult financial times and has excellent knowledge of the port industry," board chairman Larry Shipp said.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 or tjackovics@tampatrib.com.

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