About Us
Andalusian is…
Andalusian Energy is optimizing the safe delivery of affordable compressed natural gas with its agile, patented technology to underserved markets in Central America and the Caribbean, strengthening regional economies and power grids that build and enable higher standards of living, better jobs and responsible industry growth. In essence, Andalusian is creating an affordable and efficient natural gas virtual pipeline, initially providing continuous flow from Louisiana’s Gateway Port to Puerto Cortes in Honduras with additional destinations planned for Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
Our business is affordable compressed natural gas. Our commitment is safety. Our passion is driving growth and prosperity for the countries we serve.
Our Leadership Team…
Our leadership team is comprised of subject matter experts experienced in the development of innovative solutions for complex challenges related to safe transportation of natural gas, international finance, responsible environmental stewardship, organizational excellence, ocean shipping and marketing.
Pedro Santos
Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer
Pedro Santos founded Andalusian Energy in 2016 and serves as the company’s chief technology officer. As Andalusian’s largest shareholder and executive chairman of the board, Pedro is a world-renowned compressed natural gas (CNG) expert and holder of critical intellectual property related to industrial gases including natural gas and hydrogen.
Pedro is the principal investigator named on numerous granted and pending U.S. and international patents focused on natural gas compression, liquefaction, storage, transportation, and processing. He is an often-consulted thought leader for rotating machinery (including hydraulics, drilling, construction, cranes, power transmission, electric power generation including engines and turbines, and mechanical structures) with highly specialized knowledge of gas compression technologies and thermodynamic processes that he has developed in the natural gas space since 2009. Pedro is a popular and in-demand speaker and panelist at international oil and gas infrastructure conferences and seminars where he has shares his expertise in both CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG). He serves as an active advisor to major technology and infrastructure institutional investors and has raised more than US$100 million in technology and early company development for his founded companies.
Pedro received a Master of Business Administration degree from MIT’s Sloan School of Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship & Innovation. In 2012, he was cited by Forbes 30 under 30 for “outstanding people in the energy sector” as a result of his development of innovative technology to lower costs in the natural gas supply chain. He is the founder of several groundbreaking CNG companies including OsComp and Hicor Technologies (recently sold to a publicly traded oilfield technology and equipment company).
For more than a decade, Pedro has been focused on bringing CNG to underserved markets throughout Central America, the Caribbean basin, and Mexico via cost-effective innovations delivered by the proprietary technologies offered by Andalusian. He originally developed the conceptual elements behind Andalusian Energy’s revolutionary CNG technology in 2010 while completing his degree at MIT.
In addition to his academic achievements at MIT, he earned a Master of Science from the University of Oklahoma with a concentration in natural gas engineering; a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra; and a B.S. in international business and management from Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also the recipient of the Goradia Innovation Award, the MIT Patrick McGovern Entrepreneurship Award, and the Dominican Republic National Youth Award (under 35). His passion for entrepreneurship began at the age of 14 when he founded his first company to manufacture and market table tennis equipment. A native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Pedro lives in California’s San Francisco Bay area.
JUAN PENABAD PMP
Chief Operating Officer
Juan Penabad has 20 years of experience developing, managing and operating various businesses in energy investment funds, telecommunications, food, consumer goods, and supply chain consulting for international corporations such as IDC Network, Grupo Onyx and Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI). His main areas of expertise are project management, supply chain, logistics and business management and he has a keen interest in organizational transformation and strategic and operational improvement projects.
In 2021, Juan joined IDC Network as a project manager in the Energy and Infrastructure Division. His role included overseeing the development of various energy projects such as Andalusian Energy, where IDC Network is a main shareholder. His dedication to the company led him to commit fulltime to help with the development of Andalusian Energy.
Before joining IDC Network, Juan worked as general manager for Grupo Onyx, a diversified business group with interests in telecommunications, distribution, services and real estate. There, he supervised the telecom division and also led the development and evaluation of new business opportunities in various industries of interest for the group.
Previously, Juan enjoyed 10 years working for CMI and four years as a supply chain specialist and consultant for Miebach Consulting, a global logistics and supply chain consultancy.
Juan lives in Guatemala and holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a specialization in Logistics from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and Hochschule Bremen in Germany. He also holds a master’s degree in Logistics and International Business from Universidad Anáhuac in México City. He is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute. He is also fluent in Spanish, English and German.
Juan’s professional goal is to lead high-impact projects in energy, infrastructure and supply chain management, leveraging his analytical, strategic and leadership skills.
STEVE TYNDAL PPM
Vice President of Ports and Marketing
Steve Tyndal is a native Floridian with more than 30 years of port management and marketing experience. He joined Andalusian Energy in 2021 with leadership responsibilities for all port and marketing activities related to third-party commercial container shipments. During his career, he organized and led international trade missions throughout the Western Hemisphere to Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Cuba. Steve was a key team member in the construction of five port dock developments and related dredging projects, and numerous road, railroad and port warehouse construction projects and won federal grants resulting in more than $15 million to fund port infrastructure improvements. Steve is the architect of crisis communications policies and procedures adopted by the American Association of Port Authorities as part of its best practices library and is experienced managing internal and external communications programs. He authored and implemented numerous successful goal-focused port marketing plans and, over the course of his career, earned more than 90 maritime industry marketing and communications awards along the way. In 2005, he received accreditation by the AAPA as a Professional Port Manager, the U.S. port industry’s highest measure of professional competence. He is past chairman of the AAPA’s Harbors and Navigation Committee, the organization’s oldest and largest standing technical committee with interface responsibilities joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. port industry. He has Bachelor of Science degrees in journalism and public relations from the University of Florida and is a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam era, having served in the President’s Honor Guard. He resides in the greater Tampa Bay area.
Xuepei (Pei) Yuan, PhD.
Project Engineering Manager
Dr. Pei Yuan is Andalusian Energy’s project engineering manager. He has more than 10 years of industrial experience in the energy sector, specializing in compressed natural gas (CNG) virtual pipeline gas projects. Pei has been affiliated with Andalusian since 2015 and was instrumental in the development of more than 10 CNG virtual pipeline projects in Sub-Saharan African countries, including CNG powered electric generating plants in the Republic of Chad; CNG fuel supply in the Republic of Ghana; and flared gas CNG capture in Nigeria. Pei has been deeply involved in CNG project development feasibility studies, surveys, EPC, and due diligence. Since 2017 , as an engineering designer, Pei has led in the design, building, and tests of the gas systems on a railroad CNG tender from scratch – which is the first-of-its-kind in the world. He has led key activities for CNG tender engineering design including piping assembly, pressure tests, and hazardous materials management. Since Andalusian’s inception, Pei has been actively involved in the innovation of its primary marine CNG project from concept approval to demonstration, including technology development to multiple EPC FEED and EPC proposals. He has also participated in CNG bunkering design to fuel CNG ships and other ocean-going vessels. Before joining Andalusian, he worked for OsComp Systems for two years, inventing a CNG adsorption storage technology and proprietary solid-state gas separation technology. Before diving into private industry, Pei devoted four years of advanced post-doc research in polymers and energy storage technology at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, after earning a doctoral degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. Dr. Yuan has published more than 25 peer-reviewed papers in international journals with more than 700 citations. Pei has been granted eight patents, prepared hundreds of technical reports, and awarded multiple funding grants. A native of northern China, Pei resides in Houston.
Allen Hernandez
Director of Central America Operations
Allen Hernandez is an operations professional with more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, finance, and implementation of business processes. He joined Andalusian in 2022 to begin building-out the regional operations capabilities required for project execution. Allen entered the power energy industry as part of the implementation team to build-out an electric energy commercialization company with headquarters in Guatemala and offices in El Salvador and Costa Rica. His responsibilities included leading the design, documentation, and implementation of business processes. He conducted due diligence reviews for acquisitions of companies in Colombia and Costa Rica in various industries. Before that, he spent 12 years with Dole Food Company in both corporate offices and operations units with appointments in Costa Rica and Ecuador. He supervised Dole’s operation shutdown in Venezuela, and in Ecuador. He supervised Dole’s operation shutdown in Venezuela. In Ecuador, he led the reorganization of the finance group, including a team of 30 plus people in accounting, financial analysis, tax compliance, procurement, and IT. He was appointed as regional leader for the internal audit group in LATAM and then, he led a transformation of the internal audit group into the approach of business process improvement and internal controls. As part of a global team, he led the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance project for Latin America. His professional career started at Price Waterhouse Costa Rica as part of their team of external auditors. He graduated from the Universidad Interamericana de Costa Rica and holds Costa Rican Certified Public Accountant accreditation. Allen was born in Costa Rica and lives there today.
THELMA RIVERA
Director Of Commercial Development
Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Thelma Rivera has established herself as a leading figure in the energy and infrastructure sectors over the past 15 years. With a robust background in the analysis, design, and implementation of energy projects, Rivera’s career spans extensive work with the Government of Honduras, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector across Central America, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Peru.
Rivera’s professional journey began in 2008 at ENERSA Power Plant (part of the energy assets of Terra Inversiones), a 260 MW thermoelectric facility in Honduras. This initial experience underscored her commitment to advancing cleaner energy solutions, prompting her to specialize further in sustainable energy. Her academic pursuit was marked by a significant achievement in 2013 when she earned a Master of Science in Energy Technologies for Sustainable Development with a focus on Renewable Energies from Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain. She later enhanced her expertise with an MBA in Project Management from ADEN International Business School.
In 2015, Rivera joined the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) in Honduras as a Technical Administrative Project Consultant. Her notable contributions include advancing the identification of renewable resources in the Bay Island Archipelago, which facilitated the construction of Guanaja’s first hybrid energy system. This project significantly improved energy access and reduced fossil fuel consumption in rural areas.
Her role at Terra Inversiones, starting in 2017, involved leading and analyzing opportunities for new energy projects across Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Colombia. As Energy Projects and New Business Coordinator in 2022, Rivera excelled in managing project analyses and leading due diligence for greenfield projects and mergers and acquisitions.
Among her achievements, Rivera played a key role in the analysis of the technical and financial feasibility for the acquisition of over 1,725 MW of power capacity which facilitated decision-making for investors, and was instrumental in the 2023 acquisition process of one of Guatemala’s major energy distributors.
Thelma Rivera’s ongoing goal is to enhance energy access in developing countries, aiming to improve quality of life and foster economic development. She currently resides in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Humberto Quintero
Senior Engineering Specialist
Humberto Quintero is a key member of Andalusian Energy’s engineering team. He has a progressive background with more than 20 years of experience in engineering projects, maintenance and reliability activities, safety, and construction management.
He has been involved in various project types across the energy industry of varying sizes and stages of development from early design stage to detailed engineering, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning and start-up. He also has participated in major maintenance turnarounds and life extension projects. He has achieved additional experience in positions of responsibility in project engineering management developing FEED, detailed engineering, and EPC for various industries spanning the oil and gas space (LPG/CNG/LNG), industrial gas/liquid (O2, CO2, N2 and Argon), and power generation including solar.
In 2023, Humberto joined Andalusian Energy as part of the engineering group. Among other things, his role includes responsibilities for engineering development for multiple natural gas supply projects.
Humberto is considered a remarkably proficient engineer who has served in vital leadership roles for major projects worldwide, including projects funded through the U.S. Trade & Development Agency. During the past 15 years, Andalusian Energy has generated a series of U.S. patents concerning new technology impacting the safe processing and transportation of compressed natural gas, and in reducing these patents to practice, Humberto is one of the few persons that has participated with Andalusian’s CTO in reducing the technology to practice.
Humberto is a mechanical engineer by profession, having graduated from the Universidad de Los Andes in Venezuela (ULA), and holds a master’s degree in maintenance engineering, majoring in industrial safety and reliability management from the Univerisdad Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (UGMA) in Venezuela.
Humberto is originally from Venezuela.
Cassio Tamara
Project Manager and Sr. Reliability Advisor
With more than three decades of dedicated service in the Colombian oil and gas sector, Cassio has established a highly successful career as a mechanical engineer and leader in the international energy sector. His experience covers a wide range of crucial areas within the industry, including industrial project support and management, maintenance oversight and process safety.
Beyond his extensive tenure in the oil and gas industry, he excels in roles focused on quality assurance, project management and leadership. His experience encompasses overseeing many large-scale thermochemical projects, managing teams and driving continuous improvement efforts across various operational domains.
Notable milestones include his pivotal role during the expansion project of a major Colombian oil refinery (now considered the most modern in all of Latin America), his leadership in implementing proactive maintenance strategies resulting in improved reliability and key performance indicators, and his significant efforts in ensuring compliance with rigorous quality and construction standards for such refinery. He was able to coordinate and collaborate with multinational vendor engagements in the U.S. and Germany.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia, as well as a Master of Science in Process Systems Engineering from Cranfield University, England, achieving a First-Class Honors Degree. Additionally, he has completed an Executive MBA program at INALDE Universidad de La Sabana, Colombia. He also attended pertinent training in Renovation of Industrial Equipment in Japan and Energy Savings in Chemical Industries in Sweden.
He joins Andalusian Energy highly motivated to apply his wealth of expertise to the company’s initiatives and projects in the natural gas space in the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean.
Cassio is native of Cartagena, Colombia.
JORGE JAVIER MOLINA MELGAR
Financial Analyst and Business Process Manager
Jorge Javier Molina Melgar is a Financial Analysts and Business Process Manager at Andalusian Energy. He is responsible for driving high-impact projects throughout Latin America, leveraging his expertise in finance, economics and business administration. He has a master’s degree in finance from Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City, where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Before joining Andalusian Energy, Jorge worked as an investor relations associate at Beacon Real Estate Group, a real estate investment firm based in Miami. In this role, he managed a diverse client portfolio spanning multiple nations including Chile, Guatemala, U.S., England and Mexico. The portfolio, valued at more than US$300M, consisted of a diverse range of assets, including multifamily properties and commercial real estate holdings.
Beyond this experience, Jorge’s career includes serving as a commercial manager at Grupo Almex, a leading distributor of industrial and medical chemicals in Central America. In this role he was responsible for analyzing and projecting operational cash flow, leading the commercial team to reach its goals and for presenting quarterly consumption projections to the board of directors. Additionally, he gained experience as an event organizer within the marketing department at Tigo Guatemala, one of the country’s largest telecommunications companies.
Jorge currently resides in Guatemala and is passionate about learning new things, working in team settings, and making a positive impact with his knowledge. He understands that Andalusian’s initiative will revolutionize Central American manufacturing as a transformational solution.
His interests encompass a wide range of topics, including behavioral economics, innovation, energy and sustainability. As an avid sports enthusiast, he actively engages in various athletic pursuits, with the notable achievement of completing the 2022 New York Marathon.
OTTO GONZÁLEZ
Business Development Consultant
A native of the Dominican Republic, Otto brings more than two decades of experience in the management and oversight of a cumulative 1,600 MW of electrical generation assets in the Caribbean and Central America region (C&CA) including coal, natural gas, oil and renewables. He fulfilled general manager, regional director and board director roles with Coastal Power, Enron, and Ashmore Energy International (AEI) from 1995 through 2016. During his time with Enron and AEI, Otto dedicated over ten years of research to evaluate the possible supply of small and medium natural gas — both LNG and CNG — to generate assets in the region. An engineering graduate from the University of Toronto, Mr. Gonzalez has been assisting Andalusian Energy in the development of the natural gas market in the Central American and Caribbean region since 2016.