New biorefinery opens in US

Commercial iso-butanol producer Gevo has cut the ribbon on its new biorefinery this August.

The demonstration-scale plant is located adjacent to its jet fuel plant in Texas, US and will produce renewable paraxylene, a chemical prevalent in fibre and plastic production.

Gevo is working with Toray Industries to develop the renewable chemical at the plant, having successfully worked towards that goal at laboratory level two years ago. It is also working with Coca-Cola Company, which has provided R&D support for the new facility under a joint development agreement.

‘We believe we have a viable route to renewable, non-petroleum derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and we are pleased Coca-Cola and Toray have supported this work,’ Patrick Gruber, Gevo CEO, was quoted as saying. ‘Fully renewable PET has the potential to make the world a better place by reducing our dependence on oil and the environmental consequences associated with petroleum-based raw materials.’

James Greenwood, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), was in attendance at the ceremony.

‘Gevo’s new biorefinery is showing us the role that industrial biotech can play in a renaissance in America’s chemical industry. It is showing us how companies can compete and capture more of our share of the $2.4 trillion global clean energy market and the $3.7 trillion global chemicals market,’ he says.

 ‘Looking at this particular operation, you can see that this industry not only is for real, but also has the potential to help transform our future in the US by helping to lessen our dependence on foreign petroleum and help reinvigorate American industry and manufacturing.’