Celunol Corp., a privately held company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, has appointed Carlos A. Riva as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Riva will lead Celunol as it commercializes an industry leading technology that converts cellulose from widely available biomass sources into ethanol.
Mike Zak, Partner at Charles River Ventures, a major Celunol investor, applauded the announcement. "Carlos Riva is an acknowledged expert in leveraging energy technologies and market knowledge into successful commercial businesses," he said. "Celunol is fortunate to have someone of his caliber to lead our talented team in seizing the opportunity presented by the dynamic growth of today's biofuels market."
A long-time veteran of the international power and energy industries, Riva previously served as Executive Director of Amecplc, a major global construction and engineering company based in the U.K., where he was responsible for the company's operations in the United States and Britain. He also had responsibility for Amec's global Oil and Gas business strategy.
From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Riva served as Chief Executive Officer of InterGen, a Boston-based joint venture between Shell and Bechtel that developed more than 18,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, along with gas storage and pipelines, on six continents. Under his leadership InterGen raised $9 billion of non-recourse project financing to construct power projects and grew from a development company concept to a successful, global operating business.
Mr. Riva was also President and Chief Operating Officer of Boston-based J. Makowski Company, which developed the first independent power project in the United States.
"The growth of the biofuels industry generally, and cellulosic ethanol in particular, is one of the most important developments in today's energy sector. I am thrilled to join Celunol and lead such a talented team of scientists and development professionals," said Riva. "The global market demand for fuels such as cellulosic ethanol is potentially massive, and Celunol's proprietary technology makes it very well positioned to make a major impact in this market."
About Celunol
Celunol Corp. is a privately held company headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts moving rapidly to commercialize its proprietary technology for producing ethanol from a wide array of cellulosic biomass feedstocks -- including bagasse, agricultural waste, wood products and dedicated energy crops. The company is currently completing an expansion of its existing pilot facility and is moving forward to construct a demonstration plant based on its technology later this year. Celunol aspires to develop and build a portfolio of both conventional grain and cellulosic ethanol facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Shareholders in the company include Braemar Energy Ventures, Charles River Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Rho Capital Partners. Visit http://www.celunol.com.