Gevo gets patent for breakthrough “Ethanol-to-Olefin” process

Colorado based Gevo has been granted patent for its ethanol to olefins (ETO) process by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This patent further cements Gevo’s position as a leader in intellectual property surrounding bio-based renewable fuel and chemical production from alcohols.

Gevo is known for converting renewable energy and biogenic carbon into sustainable fuels and chemicals with a net-zero or better carbon footprint. The innovative technology of Gevo can be used to make a variety of products, including SAF, motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials.

Gevo has been awarded US Patent covering the ETO process and it protects the process of using certain proprietary catalyst combinations for converting ethanol into olefins. This process is designed to give best-in-class cost and yields of olefins from ethanol, with improved energy efficiency, which is intended to help to reduce the cost of biofuels and biochemicals.

The patent accorded

Olefins with three or four carbon atoms are key building blocks to produce fuels or chemicals. Existing technology makes ethylene, a 2-carbon olefin, from ethanol, and then additional steps are needed to produce the larger and more useful olefins, such as three or four carbon olefins (e.g., propylene and butenes). This patent protects Gevo’s ETO process, which makes three and/or four carbon olefins in addition to ethylene from ethanol in a single step with a high degree of selectivity and control, which is critical for success.

The ETO process is expected to reduce energy and capital cost because of the fewer unit operations involved; and reduce complexity of the process design. The ETO process technology can be optimized to produce fuels and/or chemicals, the latter of which has been licensed to LG Chem, Ltd. (“LG Chem”) under the previously disclosed joint development agreement. Together Gevo and LG Chem are working to scale up the process for chemicals.

“We’ve been pursuing simplified alcohol to olefin technology since 2007, understanding that low cost, robust processes to make the right olefins is the critical step to make jet fuel, gasoline, and plastics. It’s our mission to make the transition practical from fossil-based to renewable fuels and chemicals,” says Dr. Pat Gruber, CEO of Gevo.

He added, “Key to making the transition are low-cost, drop-in products. The ETO process technology covered by this patent is expected to be a step-change improvement in capital cost and energy efficiency to produce biofuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”), or chemicals, such as propylene, from ethanol.”