KiOR has been granted Part 79 registration by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its renewable gasoline blendstock 5, or cellulosic gasoline. This step is required before the sale of the fuel to be used in motor vehicles becomes legal.

“Part 79 registration is a landmark for KiOR and the renewable sector, as KiOR’s gasoline is the first renewable cellulosic gasoline that the EPA has registered for sale in the United States,” said Fred Cannon, KiOR’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With this registration, KiOR’s breakthrough cellulosic gasoline will be fueling cars of American consumers this year, providing a truly renewable fuel option that uses only sustainable non-food feedstock, reduces greenhouse gases, creates American jobs, and reduces our dependence on imported oil.”

The company’s first production facility is scheduled to begin production later this year in Columbus, Mississippi. Cannon says that the facility will provide 150 new jobs and produce enough fuel to meet the transportation needs to 20,000 area families.

Cannon added, “This facility demonstrates how the Renewable Fuels Standard and forward-thinking states like Mississippi can combine to make a positive impact on both domestic energy policy and local rural economies.”