NATCHEZ &8212; While he&8217;s excited Colorado fuel manufacturer Rentech is looking to locate a coal gasification plant near the Natchez-Adams Port, bringing perhaps hundreds of thousands of tons of coal into the facility, Port Director Anthony Hauer is keeping his eye on the ball.

&8220;I&8217;ve always said having a lot of small customers is a good position to be in,&8221; because the port doesn&8217;t have all its proverbial eggs in one basket, Hauer said.

&8220;But when you get those (smaller) customers and retain them and another, larger customer comes along, it just places you in higher cotton, so to speak.&8221;

Last week, Rentech announced that pending approval of state and federal incentives, it would build a 200-job plant at the former Belwood Country Club site near the port, completing construction by fall 2010.

The plant would convert coal to a clear diesel fuel, generating a byproduct of fertilizer.

Because it will take a few years to build the plant even if the necessary incentives are attained, Hauer said it&8217;s much too early to know exactly how many tons of coal and petroleum coke Rentech could bring through the port.

As a result, it&8217;s not yet know what infrastructure improvements the port will need to make to accommodate Rentech&8217;s needs.

&8220;But I&8217;ve told the supervisors that if they need anything at all, all they need to do is call on me,&8221; Hauer said.

And as far as they or the port&8217;s existing customers are concerned, he added, &8220;whatever it takes to maintain service for our customers, we will do.&8221;

Hauer noted even pre-Rentech, the port was handling more tonnage than it has in recent years &8212; more than 100,000 tons, to be exact.

During the summer, Hauer reported the port would be able to pay its operating expenses for the first month since IP&8217;s Natchez mill closed.

Hauer said he&8217;s been steadily working his contacts in the industry, adding repeat clients one by one.