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Gevo, Inc. is an American renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company headquartered in unincorporated
Douglas County, Colorado Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 357,978. The county is named in honor of U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. The county seat is Castle Rock. Douglas County is pa ...
, in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. Gevo operates in the sustainability sector, pursuing a business model based on the concept of the "
circular economy A circular economy (also referred to as circularity or CE) is a model of resource Production (economics), production and Resource consumption, consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, Reuse, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and ...
". The company develops bio-based alternatives to petroleum-based products using a combination of biotechnology and classical chemistry. Gevo uses the GREET model from
Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Lemont, Illinois, Lemont, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1946, the laboratory is owned by the United Sta ...
as a basis for its measure of sustainability, with the goal of producing high-protein animal feed, corn-oil products, and energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons. Gevo is focused on converting sustainably grown raw materials, specifically No. 2 dent corn, into high-value protein and isobutanol, a primary building block for renewable hydrocarbons, including sustainable aviation fuel, renewable gasoline, and renewable diesel. Gevo markets these fuels as directly integrable on a “drop-in” basis into existing fuel and chemical products.


The Circular Economy

Gevo's business model aims to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
by incorporating renewable energies and sustainable processes. Gevo's business model incorporates the concept of the circular economy, as outlined in publicly available documents such a
Gevo’s circular economy
.


Economics of Isobutanol Production

Isobutanol is a four-carbon () alcohol that can be directly used as a specialty chemical or a value-added fuel blendstock. It can also be converted into butenes. Butenes are primary hydrocarbon feedstocks that are used in the production of plastics, fibers, rubber, other polymers, and hydrocarbon fuels. Isobutanol produced from renewable raw materials may be a competitive alternative source of hydrocarbons for the petrochemical and refining industries. Isobutanol and its derivatives have potential applications in the global petrochemicals market. Manufacturers may replace petroleum-derived raw materials with isobutanol-derived raw materials. Additionally, the final products produced from isobutanol-based raw materials are chemically equivalent to those produced from petroleum-based raw materials and may help reduce the time to market adoption.


Creating Food and Fuel While Sequestering Carbon in the Soil

Gevo uses no. 2
dent corn Dent corn, also known as grain corn, is a type of field corn with a high soft starch content. It received its name because of the small indentation, or "dent", at the crown of each Corn kernel, kernel on a ripe ear of corn. Reid's Yellow Dent is ...
to create high-protein animal feed and isobutanol. The leftover starch from the corn is used to make isobutanol, which can be converted into energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons like sustainable aviation fuel, renewable gasoline, and renewable diesel.


Target markets

Gevo's commercialization efforts are focused on the following markets: *Isobutanol — Without any modification,
isobutanol Isobutanol (IUPAC nomenclature: 2-methylpropan-1-ol) is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CHCH2OH (sometimes represented as ''i''-BuOH). This colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic smell is mainly used as a solvent either dir ...
has applications as a specialty chemical and a fuel blendstock. In the fuel blendstock market, isobutanol can be used to replace high-value blendstocks, such as alkylate, and can be blended in conjunction with, or as a substitute for, ethanol and other widely used fuel oxygenates. In November 2010, Gevo became the first company to receive EPA (
Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...
) certification for isobutanol as a fuel blendstock after meeting the EPA's standards under the Clean Air Act. While isobutanol can be used as a replacement for ethanol, its product properties are significantly different from ethanol's. As a gasoline blendstock, isobutanol's low Reid vapor pressure (RVP), high energy content, and low water solubility compared to ethanol make it a valuable product that can be sold directly to refineries and is compatible with existing engine and industry infrastructure, including pipeline assets. Isobutanol can also be sold for immediate use as a specialty solvent. *Plastics, fibers, rubber. and other polymers — Isobutanol can be converted into a wide variety of hydrocarbons that form the basis for the production of many products, including rubber, lubricants, additives,
methyl methacrylate Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is an organic compound with the formula . This colorless liquid, the methyl ester of methacrylic acid (MAA), is a monomer produced on a large scale for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). History MMA ...
, polypropylenes,
polyesters Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...
, and
polystyrene Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It i ...
. *
Hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...
Fuels — Alternatively, the hydrocarbons that can be produced from isobutanol can be used to manufacture jet and diesel fuel, as well as other hydrocarbon fuels. Airline companies that use Gevo’s jet fuel: Lufthansa, United Airlines, Etihad,
Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, or simply Cathay Pacific, is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main airline hub, hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and its subsidiaries have schedule ...
,
Emirates Emirates may refer to: * United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective ...
,
Japan Airlines Japan Airlines (JAL) is the flag carrier airline of Japan. JAL is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport, Narita and Haneda Airport, Haneda airports, as well as secondary hubs in Osaka's Kansai ...
,
Korean Air Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group. The present-day Korean Air tra ...
,
Atlas Air Atlas Air, Inc. is a major American cargo airline, charter airline, passenger charter airline, and Aircraft lease, aircraft lessor based in White Plains, New York. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. Atlas Air is t ...
(November 2017)


Controversies

In February 2022, a methane digester owned by Gevo located at Winding Meadows Dairy near Rock Valley, Iowa, spilled manure. This spill flowed across frozen fields into Lizard Creek, a tributary of the Rock River. As a result, 376,414 gallons of liquid manure entered the waterways. It was later discovered that Gevo did not have a license to operate the digester. Although the Iowa Department of Natural Resources fined the dairy farmer $10,000 for the spill, Gevo was not fined.


References


Further reading

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External links

* {{authority control Biofuel producers Biofuel in the United States Companies listed on the Nasdaq