The Moore County Economic Development Partnership has been awarded a $75,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development to obtain a Biofuel Development Opportunity Zone Rating – the first of its kind in North Carolina.

The rating will provide third-party validation of Moore County’s capacity to support biobased businesses, helping attract high-quality jobs and capital investment to the area.

The BDO Zone Rating is part of the BDO Zone Initiative (www.bdozone.org), a certification and risk rating program that evaluates geographic areas based on their potential to support biobased development. The rating provides biobased companies and investors with a credible, independent assessment of an area’s biomass supply chain and infrastructure capabilities using national standards.

“The BDO Rating will serve as a powerful economic development engine for biobased project development in Moore County and the surrounding region,” said MCEDP President Natalie Hawkins in a press release. “We look forward to leveraging Ecostrat's expertise to strategically position Moore County for successful recruitment of projects that can support our existing agricultural industry in northern Moore County. We are grateful to USDA Rural Development for the RBDG funding that provides this important economic development opportunity for our region.”

To obtain the rating, MCEDP has contracted with Ecostrat, a leading biomass development and supply chain assessment firm that developed and implemented the rating system. Ecostrat has completed more than 45 BDO Zone Ratings across the United States and Canada.

“Biomass” encompasses a wide variety of renewable organic materials from plants and animals, including wood, crops and waste products. Moore County possesses significant woody biomass resources, particularly in the northern part of the county, along with infrastructure advantages that position it well for biomanufacturing investment.

“Biomass and biobased development is a growing industry sector and represents a new recruitment focus for Moore County,” said  MCEDP’s Business Development Director Darryn Burich in a press release. “Given the substantial woody biomass assets concentrated particularly in northern Moore County, we anticipate receiving a favorable rating of at least ‘BBB’ or higher.”

The 12-month project will focus on a 25-mile radius – the BDO Zone – from the Town of Robbins, designated as the central point for future biomass projects. Within the BDO Zone, Ecostrat will evaluate up to 21 Infrastructure risk indicators (utilities, transportation, labor, etc.).

Ecostrat’s comprehensive assessment will also evaluate up to 54 biomass feedstock supply and supply chain risk indicators in the Supply Zone, a 75-mile drive distance from Robbins; and up to nine existing user risk and competition market indicators in the Competition Zone, a 150-mile drive distance from Robbins.

Ecostrat’s deliverables will include the BDO rating that is valid for two years and a Risk Assessment Report prepared in accordance with national Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards. The company will also collaborate with MCEDP on a strategic marketing campaign to promote Moore County globally to attract bioeconomy investment to the area.

“A high rating will provide third-party validation and worldwide recognition that Moore County is an advantageous location for biobased project development,” Burich added in a press release. “It reduces investor risk, differentiates Moore County as a sustainable biomass market, and will significantly enhance MCEDP’s efforts to recruit woody biobased projects including manufacturing, clean energy production and environmental and sustainability applications.”