Englewood-based Gevo, Inc. announced Tuesday that it has signed a joint development agreement with Beta Renewables to develop a process for the production of bio-based isobutanol.
Isobutanol could serve as an alternative to gasoline to fuel combustion engines and has a number of industrial applications in paint solvent, varnish remover, paint additive and gasoline additive.
Gevo said that it and Beta would combine their technologies and locate production plants where cellulosic feedstocks such as switchgrass, miscanthus, agriculture residues and other biomass is readily available.
Gevo said the agreement also anticipates commercialization of the technology to produce competitively priced jet fuel as well as other chemicals and fuels made from isobutanol.
Earlier this month, Gevo reported that a U.S. Air Force jet had a successful test flight using a cellulose-based alcohol fuel made by it. On June 28, an Air Force A-10 Thunder Bolt jet flew from Elgin Air Force Base in Florida using a blend of 50 percent Gevo’s Alcohol to Jet Fuel and 50 percent military aviation jet fuel, the company said.
Gevo, a renewable chemicals and biofuels company, received a contract last year to provide the USAF 11,000 gallons of its ATJ fuel derived from isobutanol for testing.
Chris Ryan, president of Gevo, said that with the successful startup of its bio-based isobutanol production plant in Luverne, Minn., and combining that with Beta Renewables’ cellulosic sugar technology, “we’re ready to position Gevo to be on the forefront of cellulosic isobutanol and isobutanol derivatives, such as jet fuel, through the integration of the companies respective technology platforms.”
Beta Renewables is currently building a 20 million gallon per year bio-refinery in Crescentino, Italy that will produce cellulosic ethanol. Plant startup is targeted for the end of 2012.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or
