Bringing deep process control expertise to one of America’s most ambitious hydrocarbon conversion projects.
Frontieras North America Selects Yokogawa as Distributed Control System Partner for Mason County Facility
HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN — Frontieras North America (“Frontieras”) and Yokogawa Corporation of America (“Yokogawa”), a subsidiary of global industrial automation leader Yokogawa Electric Corporation, announce the selection of Yokogawa as the main automation contractor (MAC) for Frontieras’ first commercial-scale FASform™ Solid Carbon Fractionation facility in Mason County, West Virginia.
The designation formalizes an engineering relationship developed directly between Frontieras’ technical leadership and Yokogawa’s project team. As MAC, Yokogawa will assume full accountability for the facility’s automation and control infrastructure, encompassing process control systems, safety instrumented systems, analytical instrumentation, cybersecurity architecture, and advanced digital operations solutions across the plant lifecycle.
The Mason County facility is designed to process 2.7 million tons of coal per year using Frontieras’ patented FASForm™ Solid Carbon Fractionation technology—a zero-waste, non-combustion process that converts coal into refined liquid fuels, FASCarbon™ solid fuel, hydrogen, ammonium sulfate fertilizer, and industrial chemicals.
As MAC, Yokogawa’s scope encompasses the full automation lifecycle of the Mason County facility, from front end engineering design through commissioning and startup. The MAC scope includes instrumentation and analytical systems, production control system and safety instrumented system design, cybersecurity architecture compliant with IEC 62443-SL2 standards, control room design, and advanced digital solutions including plant historian, operator training systems, and asset management platforms.
The Mason County facility broke ground on April 2, 2026. The $850 million facility is estimated by the West Virginia Department of Economic Development to contribute approximately 3% incremental GDP impact to the state. The project is expected to create approximately 2,000 construction-phase jobs and 200 permanent operational positions upon full commissioning.
Executive Statements
“We are honored to have Yokogawa as the MAC for Frontieras North America. Yokogawa offers the industry’s best-in-class fully integrated process control and safety systems through their CENTUM VP distributed control system, a truly reliable and robust system and a perfect fit for Frontieras’ first-of-a-kind technology and processing facility in Mason County, WV. Yokogawa’s expertise in the process control, analyzer and cybersecurity space is exactly what Frontieras North America requires.”
– Joseph Witherspoon, P.E., CTO and Co-Founder, Frontieras North America
“Frontieras has spent many years cultivating this relationship, knowing that Yokogawa had the perfect technology, built upon its 110-year history. We needed a partner that could be the stand-by technology for what we expect to be a broad North American deployment. Yokogawa is that company.”
– Matthew McKean, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, Frontieras North America
“This project represents an important step forward in bringing first-of-kind industrial technology to commercial scale. Yokogawa is proud to support Frontieras North America with the integrated automation, safety, analytical, and digital solutions needed to help establish a secure, efficient, and reliable operating environment from day one.”
– Kevin McMillen, President and CEO, Yokogawa Corporation of America, and Corporate Officer, Yokogawa Electric Corporation
About the Technology
FASForm™ Solid Carbon Fractionation does not burn coal. The technology operates in a reducing atmosphere, thermally disassembling hydrocarbons into multiple output streams simultaneously: ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), naphtha, jet fuel, FASCarbon™, hydrogen, ammonium sulfate fertilizer, and sulfuric acid. The process is closed-loop and zero-waste. No combustion occurs during fractionation, and all byproducts are either used or monetized.
The technology is protected by U.S. Patent No. 9,926,492 and a global patent portfolio spanning nine of the world’s largest coal-producing countries, covering approximately 85% of global coal production capacity.
About Frontieras North America
Frontieras North America is an energy and environmental technology company redefining the entire global sector of coal utilization. Through its patented FASForm™ Solid Carbon Fractionation technology, Frontieras converts coal and other hydrocarbons into clean fuels, fertilizers, and industrial chemicals through a closed-loop, zero-waste process. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company is constructing its first commercial-scale facility in Mason County, West Virginia. Frontieras holds an international patent portfolio spanning five continents and maintains an active Regulation A+ public offering. For more information, visit frontieras.com.
About Yokogawa
Yokogawa provides advanced solutions in the areas of measurement, control, and information to customers across a broad range of industries, including energy, chemicals, materials, pharmaceuticals, and food. Yokogawa addresses customer issues regarding the optimization of production, assets, and the supply chain with the effective application of digital technologies, enabling the transition to autonomous operations. Founded in Tokyo in 1915, Yokogawa continues to work toward a sustainable society through its 18,000+ employees in a global network of 136 companies spanning 63 countries. For more information, visit www.yokogawa.com.
Yokogawa Corporation of America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation. Established in 1957, the business is headquartered in Houston, Texas and supported by other domestic manufacturing and service locations across the U.S, Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit www.yokogawa.com/us.
The names of corporations, organizations, products, services, and logos herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Frontieras North America, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, or their respective holders.
Media Enquiries
Frontieras North America
Nora Shepard, VP of Communications; [email protected]
Yokogawa Corporation of America
Christie Cronje, PR and Corporate Communications Manager; [email protected]
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- Frontieras North America Selects Yokogawa as Distributed Control System Partner for Mason County Facility
