Butamax Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture between BP and DuPont, today announced the acquisition of Nesika Energy in Scandia, Kansas as the next step in the commercialization of bio-isobutanol. “The Nesika facility will serve to demonstrate our technology at scale as well as validate process and biocatalyst improvements,” said Stuart Thomas, Butamax CEO. “Our plan is to broadly license …
Green Biologics Ships First Butanol Order
UK-based Green Biologics has shipped its first customer order of biobased n-butanol and acetone from its manufacturing biorefinery in Little Falls, Minnesota. The company has developed several partnerships that include distribution agreements with Acme Hardesty, Nexeo Solutions, and Caldic, and has also developed a strategic partnership with HOC Industries. The facility was purchased by Green Biologics in December 2014 from …
Express Lube Offers Gevo’s Isobutanol
Gevo has announced that Express Lube of Fredericksburg, Texas, is the first U.S. service station to sell gasoline blended with Gevo’s renewable isobutanol at the pump. Gevo said this is anticipated to be the first of many retail locations to offer Gevo’s product as the company rolls out its isobutanol to the marina, outdoor equipment and off-road gasoline markets. According …
Isobutanol Meets Marine Performance Standards
Four years of testing has been completed on Gevo’s isobutanol and it meets marine performance standards. A consortium of recreational marine industry organizations conducted thousands of hours of testing and determined that isobutanol blends of up to 16.1 percent can be used in marine engines without deterioration of engine or boat performance. The tests were performed in collaboration with the …
USDA Working on Producing Butanol as Biofuel
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers are working turning barley straw and corn stover into biobutanol. This article from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says the agricultural by-products could be a cost-effective feedstock for the green fuel. Gallon for gallon, butanol has 30 percent more energy than ethanol and only around 4 percent less energy than a gallon of petroleum-based …
Gevo’s Plant Co-producing Isobutanol & Ethanol
Gevo’s plant in Luverne, Minnesota is now co-producing isobutanol and ethanol with one fermenter dedicated to isobutanol production and three fermenters dedicated to ethanol production. With the completion of the last phase of capital for SBS, Gevo has begun to produce and ship isobutanol in railcar volumes. This equipment facilitates the extraction of isobutanol from the plant, which should enable …
Iowa Senate Votes for Renewable Fuels
The Iowa State Senate has voted unanimously (48-0) to pass Senate File 2344. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) commended the Senate and noted the policy move showed tremendous, bipartisan support for renewable fuels. “I applaud the Iowa Senate for voting unanimously to protect Iowa jobs and access to homegrown, clean-burning renewable fuels,” said IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke. “This …
Gevo Applauds UL Biobutanol Decision
Gevo, Inc. has applauded Underwriter Laboratories (UL) decision to approve the generic use of up to 16 percent isobutanol (biobutanol) in UL 871A pumps manufactured by any company that meets ASTM specifications. If a retail gasoline station currently has these pumps, then no changes need to be made to offer consumers isobutanol. Gevo has been working with UL for several …
UL Approves Biobutanol Use for Storage & Dispensing
Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC, has announced that a joint research program with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) has determined that gasoline fuel storage and dispensing equipment meeting latest UL standards can safely and successfully use blends of up to 16 percent biobutanol. This is the first time that UL has made such a determination. Butamax’s Fuel Product Manager, James Baustian, said, “UL …
Project Aims to Convert Natural Gas to Butanol
A new project spearheaded by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are using their expertise in protein expression, enzyme engineering and high-throughput assays to develop biocatalyst technologies that can convert natural gas to liquid fuel or methane to butanol for transportation. The $34 million project by the Advanced Research Project Agency Energy (ARPA-E) is one of a set of 15 Reducing …