An international consortium including Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (AMEX:MLP) Grove Farm Company, and Kamehameha Schools today announced the formation of Hawai`i BioEnergy, LLC. The group will join forces to research the viability of renewable energy crops, products and services in the state of Hawai`i. In addition to the Hawai`i companies, consortium members include Vinod Khosla, a nationally recognized leader in renewable energy policy and co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Khosla has made substantial investments in private companies involved in ethanol research and development. 

Also participating are two Brazilian companies, Brasil Bioenergia, formed by leading industrialist Ricardo Semler, and Tarpon Investments, an investment firm with expertise in Brazil's energy sector. Brazil is the world leader in ethanol production and is expected to become energy independent this year. Hawai`i BioEnergy will identify potential fuel crops, processing techniques, and distribution channels for biofuels within the State. Besides sugarcane, the consortium will explore a variety of new enzymatic and advanced processing technologies that allow ethanol to be refined from switchgrass, pineapple by-products and other crops. The consortium invites participation by Hawai`i's other companies and major landowners as well as State and County agencies.

"Hawai`i has a long history of collaboration among major landowners," said David C. Cole, Chairman, President & CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company. "From the Hawaii Sugar Planters Association to the Pineapple Research Institute, our State has pioneered agricultural advancements of enormous international impact. Hawai`i BioEnergy continues this tradition by focusing our collective resources on integrating emerging oleo-fuels technologies with our vast, solar, land and water resources."