BP and DuPont’s bio-isobutanol joint venture, Butamax, acquires ethanol facility in Kansas

Butamax Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture between BP and DuPont, has announced the acquisition of Nesika Energy and its ethanol facility in Scandia, Kansas. Butamax will now start engineering work to add bio-isobutanol capacity to the facility.

A cost-effective alternative to isobutanol, bio-isobutanol is derived from renewable feedstocks. It provides an option for developing the renewable content of gasoline and a lower carbon alternative to fossil derived isobutanol. Bio-isobutanol can be blended with gasoline in higher concentrations than ethanol without compromising compatibility or performance. Blends of bio-isobutanol can also be transported along existing pipelines, due to the fact they don’t suffer the same water solubility issues as ethanol.

The Butamax Advanced Biofuels partnership between BP and DuPont combines expertise in fuels with industrial biotechnology, and aims to advance the commercialisation of Bio-Isobutanol.

“To drive growth in U.S. manufacturing, we must employ disruptive thinking and innovation to unlock the power of renewable raw materials,” said William F. Feehery, President of DuPont Industrial Biosciences.  “With the purchase and planned build-out of the Nesika facility to include bio-isobutanol production, Butamax is taking the next step forward in advancing the bioeconomy, which supports economic growth and opportunity in rural communities.”

“We are pleased to announce the acquisition of the Nesika site and would like to welcome Nesika and its employees to Butamax,” said Stuart Thomas, Butamax CEO. “The Nesika facility will serve to demonstrate our technology at scale as well as validate process and biocatalyst improvements. Our plan is to broadly license our technology, and Nesika and the technology deployed at the site will play a key role in that activity.”