By George Plaven

Brisbane, Australia, April 14, 2015 - The company working to build a coal export terminal at the Port of Morrow in Boardman has changed its name.

Ambre Energy North America is now Lighthouse Resources Inc., officials announced Monday.

President and CEO Everett King said the new name is a reflection of the company’s core business strategy and values.

Ambre Energy is an Australian company that hoped to be the first to export coal from the Pacific Northwest. Last year, shareholders voted to sell all North American coal assets to a Denver-based private equity firm for $18 million after failing to draw additional investors.

As Lighthouse Resources, the project’s leadership team remains intact but faces a number of challenges moving forward. The Oregon Department of State Lands previously rejected a remove-fill permit needed to build the Boardman dock and an appeal won’t be heard until December. The Oregon Transportation Commission has also rejected a $2 million ConnectOregon grant needed for dock improvements at Port Westward.

The project did, however, secure its fourth permit approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on March 31. Lighthouse spokeswoman Liz Fuller said they still believe their proposal meets environmental standards, and are confident they will win their appeal with the Department of State Lands.

“I think we’ve had as many advancements with the project in recent weeks,” Fuller said.

At $242 million, Lighthouse Resources says Morrow Pacific will provide much-needed jobs and investment in rural Oregon. Environmental groups and tribes oppose the project, citing coal’s negative impact on climate change and the dock’s interference with tribal fisheries.