The funding will be used to demonstrate commercially scalable biorefinery projects in Queensland
Gevo secures funding for waste to biofutures projects in Australia. (Credit: Pixabay/Bilal EL-Daou.)
Gevo, a biofuels company, has secured a part of the Queensland Waste to Biofutures (W2B) Fund to support the development of waste to biofutures projects in Queensland, Australia.
The W2B fund offers to finance to pilot, demonstrate commercially scalable biorefinery projects in Queensland using conventional waste streams or biomass to produce bioenergy, biofuels and high-value bioproducts.
Gevo supplied renewable fuel used in Virgin Australia’s trial of sustainable aviation fuel
Gevo has supplied the renewable fuel used in Virgin Australia’s trial of sustainable aviation fuel at Brisbane Airport which was completed in June 2019.
Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber said: “We are thrilled to be awarded funding from W2B, which will allow us to further our assessment of a contemplated second-generation (2G) feedstock to biofuel project in Queensland. Queensland is rich in renewable biomass resources and has expressed the desire to invest in the future of biofuels.
“This opportunity opens the door for the development of a project that not only supplies low carbon gasoline to Queensland, but also the possibility to supply commercial quantities of 2G sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the Brisbane Airport, expanding upon our demonstrations of SAF supply to commercial airlines like those conducted with Virgin Australia over the last several months.”
For the project, Gevo is evaluating the most likely 2G biomass to carbohydrate conversion process to be used in conjunction with its carbohydrate to low carbon biofuel process.
Currently, at Gevo’s facility in Luverne, Minnesota produces fractionates grain from sustainably produced crops to produce protein and animal feed.
The residual carbohydrate portion of the grain is fermented to produce an intermediate chemical isobutanol.
Isobutanol is then transformed into renewable gasoline, diesel and SAF meeting ASTM D7566, using hydrocarbon processing facility.
The SAF made by this process is claimed to have very low sulphur, low particulates, and slightly higher energy density than petroleum-based jet fuel.
Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said: “The Queensland Government was excited to be supporting Gevo’s research collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology to turn Queensland sugarcane waste and wood waste into SAF.
“Gevo has recognized that Queensland is the place to be when it comes to the future of biofuels and we look forward to an ongoing partnership which has the potential to bring even more business to Queensland, as demand for biofuels grows.
“In addition to offering environmental benefits by reducing the carbon footprint of plane travel, this project will also help position Queensland as a world-leading location for investment in the manufacture and distribution of this fuel in the global bioproducts and services market.”