HOUSTON, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN – Frontieras North America (“Frontieras” or the “Company”), an energy and environmental technology company commercializing its patented FASForm™ Solid Carbon Fractionation process, today announced the appointment of Robert Portz as Vice President of Operations & Engineering.
“I’m excited to step into this new role at Frontieras because of the company’s bold approach to rethinking energy—transforming abundant resources like coal into high-value products,” said Portz. “Frontieras’ commitment to delivering abundant, affordable energy while reducing waste and emissions strongly aligns with both my operational focus and my belief in building forward-looking solutions. It’s especially rewarding to be part of a team that is challenging industry norms and creating meaningful impact for both the economy and the environment.”Portz brings more than three decades of refining operations experience across major American facilities, including Ashland Oil’s Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery — one of the largest inland refineries in the country — Hunt Refining Company in Alabama, Sinclair Oil’s Wyoming refinery complex, and PBF Energy’s Toledo Refinery in Ohio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Ohio University and an associate degree in pre-engineering and applied sciences from West Virginia State College.
A Charleston, West Virginia, native, Portz is the first West Virginian to join Frontieras’ leadership team. His hire marks the company’s first executive-level hire in the state where it is constructing its flagship plant.
Portz is perhaps best known in the industry for his role building Wyoming Renewable Diesel Company from the ground up under Sinclair’s umbrella — a greenfield operation that, in its first year of production, generated more revenue than the adjacent refinery. He subsequently served as Technical Manager at PBF Energy’s Toledo Refinery, overseeing process engineering, process design, capital projects, DCS operations, and laboratory functions.
His connection to Frontieras predates his appointment. Portz first met CTO and Co-Founder Joe Witherspoon during their overlapping tenures at Sinclair Oil, where they worked together on refinery engineering projects over approximately six years. When Witherspoon later described FASForm to Portz in 2024, Portz became an early private investor in the company’s first offering, well before accepting the operational role.
CEO and Co-Founder Matthew McKean welcomed the appointment as a validation of the company’s execution credibility, saying “Bob didn’t come to us as a skeptic who needed convincing — he came to us as an investor who’d already done his due diligence and wanted to be in the room where it happens. When someone with his track record in American refining puts his name and his career behind a technology, that tells you something. We’re building something real in West Virginia, and now we have the right person to run it.”
In his role, Portz will oversee all aspects of facility operations development, including coordination with engineering firms, construction oversight, workforce development, and commissioning of the Mason County plant. The 184-acre facility on the Ohio River is designed to process 7,500 tons of coal per day, producing diesel, naphtha, jet fuel, hydrogen, FASCarbon™ purified solid carbon, ammonium sulfate fertilizer, and sulfuric acid through a zero-combustion, closed-loop process.
Frontieras’ FASForm™ technology is a zero-waste, continuous-feed process that converts coal and other solid hydrocarbons into high-value fuels, hydrogen, industrial carbon, sulfuric acid, and fertilizer. The company’s flagship facility in West Virginia is designed to process 7,500 tons of coal per day and serve as a model for scalable domestic and international deployment.
About Frontieras North America
Frontieras North America is an energy and environmental technology company commercializing FASForm™, a patented Solid Carbon Fractionation process that transforms coal and other hydrocarbons into clean-burning fuels, hydrogen, industrial carbon, and agricultural products. The company is focused on delivering abundant, affordable, and available energy through profitable, market-driven innovation.
For more information, visit: www.frontieras.com.
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- Frontieras North America Appoints Robert Portz as Vice President, Operations & Engineering to Lead Operations at First FASForm™ Commercial Facility