US company Masada Resource Group, a solid waste-to-ethanol technology firm, and RJ Zapata & Associates S.A., a waste management group in the Dominican Republic,  have joined forces to develop and operate commercial-scale waste-to-ethanol and electricity production facilities in the Dominican Republic. The two companies signed a long-term joint-venture agreement last month to build facilities in the Dominican Republic that will produce fuel-grade ethanol and electricity from ordinary household garbage.

Rafael Zapata, President of RJ Zapata and a leading businessman in the country, brokered the Zapata-Masada deal. "This is a historic moment for the Dominican Republic," said Zapata. "This partnership allows us to dispose of the City of Santo Domingo East's municipal solid waste and create up to 30 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol annually and substantial electrical power in the process. This is a win-win situation for everybody involved".

"We are excited to have RJ Zapata as our team leader in the Dominican Republic," said Donald V. Watkins, Masada's chief executive officer. "They run a world-class waste hauling operation and have a clear vision of how to turn the Dominican Republic's waste streams into clean, renewable fuels. We are extremely proud of this partnership."