SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Advanced biofuels company Gevo Inc. of Englewood, Colo., says the French oil giant Total SA has invested in the company.
Gevo is backed by venture capitalists Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Green Fund and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. Gevo plans to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, which can be turned into hydrocarbon products like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Gevo says its technology will also enable the production of chemicals and plastics from renewable resources.
Gevo is partnering with ethanol plant designer ICM Inc. to build a 1 million gallon per year commercial facility at ICM’s biofuels research center in Missouri. It’s due to begin operating in 2011.
Terms of the Total investment weren’t disclosed.
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