Total Cray Valley and Gevo, Inc. are now seeking to advance to Phase 2 of the Joint Development Agreement (JDA) which will allow for the scale up of Gevo’s technology at a demonstration scale for renewable Isoamylene.

The companies have announced successful completion of Phase 1 of their Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to upgrade fusel oils into renewable isoamylene.

Fusel oils, made during the production of ethanol, equate to approximately 1 million tons of bio-based feedstock. The JDA, signed in 2020, is based on Gevo’s chemical-based catalytic processes that selectively convert low-value fusel oils, a mixture of alcohols that are byproducts from fermentation processes such as ethanol or isobutanol production, into higher-value renewable chemicals such as isoprene, ketones, aldehydes, or olefins, in this case isoamylene.

Isoamylene is used in a diverse set of applications, including resins, pesticides, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, adhesives, antioxidants, and UV stabilizers. For Cray Valley, isoamylene is used as a raw material in resin manufacturing.

“We were very satisfied with the results of pilot tests during Phase 1. Gevo’s technology was found to be robust and flexible and the initial economic assessment shows potential for a profitable business” said Valerie Goff, Senior Vice President - Polymers, Total.

“This JDA between Total Cray Valley and Gevo is an excellent example of collaboration to develop the materials of the future produced from bio-based feedstock and meets a strong demand from our customers,” added Goff.

Dr. Paul Bloom, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Gevo said, “This is a new way to think about decarbonization and biogenic carbon sequestration. Now this byproduct from ethanol, instead of being burned, can be converted into usable products that take CO2 out of the atmosphere while delivering drop-in performance in final products on the market today.”

The companies are currently exploring options for scale-up and commercialization of the technology, which would provide the US market with a renewable source of isoamylenes, a world first.