KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong. Part 4, the Year of Living Disingenuously

But it got worse, not better. Members of the technical team believed that the BFCC conversion process was not scalable to full commercial size plants without further reducing the yields. Yet, KiOR’s R&D management insisted on continuing work on the BFCC Technology and optimization of the ZSM catalysts.

“They were beating a dead horse,” one technical team member recalled.

By the end of the first quarter of 2012, KiOR team members of the time said that the company had lost much of its original core of expertise, as “most key technical personnel had left , or were planning soon to leave”. They were fearful that the truth would come out, investors would flee, KiOR would fall, and with it would go their jobs.

The Clock Begins to Run Out

Technical staff felt that exposure would come no later than the opening of the Columbus plant, when it would start operation and not be able to meet the yields used in the financial models and presented to investors.

In January 2012, Dennis Stamires requested the formation of a task force, called “Project Team Oil Yield”, operating separately from Hacskaylo’ R&D group and reporting directly to CEO Fred Cannon, with the objective to introduce in the DEMO Unit and subsequently to the Columbus plant, “a new feasible Technology capable of meeting KiOR’ Business objectives.” At that time, Professor Vasalos had also agreed to participate. BioeCON founder and former KiOR board member Paul O’Connor was in support.

Stamires recalled that, at the time he explained to CEO Fred Cannon, “it was very important to conduct a technology review and assessment in the presence of an Independent expert. It would make the findings and conclusions more credible. It could have convinced the board, and Khosla to act swiftly. It could have saved KiOR.”

Cannon stalled in making a decision. In late January, according to Stamires, he said that “I am still considering doing that, but not sure how to do it without getting Hacskaylo pissed-off”.

But time was beginning to run out.

Meanwhile, Professor Vasalos planned a three-day visit to KiOR on January 25th, and prepared a brief to present to Cannon on the new proposed technology.

But, in the end, Cannon declined to meet with Vasalos during the entirety of his stay. And on February 22nd, Cannon contacted Stamires to say, based on what he described as “legal confidentiality concerns,” that Vasalos could not be included in any review or assessment meeting.

The Vasalos decision is a puzzle.

First, Vasalos was confidentially bound by his Consulting Agreement Contract to KiOR. Second, he had previously analyzed KiOR’ Pilot plant and the Demo unit’s raw data. Second, after consulting with Robert Bartek, together with Dr. Steve McGovern had written an “Independent Review and Analysis Report of KIOR’s Pilot Unit Data”, submitted in March 2010. Third, Vasalos had, earlier, licensed his own Reactor design to KiOR, which KIOR had incorporated into the design of the KBR Pilot Plant and in the Demo Unit, resulting in a substantial increase of bio-oil yields. They could hardly have found a more expert, independent voice more tied down in confidentiality agreements.