Gevo, Inc., a company specializing in renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels, has been awarded a U.S. patent for its innovative ethanol-to-olefins (ETO) process. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Gevo U.S. Patent No. 12,043,587 B2 for this breakthrough method, which promises to reduce costs and boost the energy efficiency of producing bio-based chemicals and fuels. The patented technology involves converting ethanol into olefins using proprietary catalysts.
The ETO process is designed to produce olefins with three or four carbon atoms—key ingredients in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), gasoline, and plastics. Unlike traditional methods that first produce ethylene, a two-carbon olefin, and then require additional steps to create larger olefins, Gevo’s process achieves this in a single step. This streamlined approach improves selectivity and control.
This advancement is expected to cut down on the number of operational steps, simplify process design, and potentially lower both energy use and capital costs. Dr. Pat Gruber, Gevo’s CEO, highlighted the importance of developing cost-effective, efficient processes to shift from fossil fuels to renewable resources for chemicals and fuels.
The new technology has already attracted attention from major industry players, including LG Chem Ltd., with whom Gevo has a joint development agreement to scale up the process for chemical production. Gevo’s broader mission focuses on creating sustainable fuels and chemicals with a net-zero or lower carbon footprint, and it operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas facilities in the U.S.
Gevo’s commitment to sustainability is further supported by its Verity subsidiary, which tracks and verifies the carbon footprint of its operations. While the press release includes forward-looking statements about the commercialization and benefits of the ETO technology, these are subject to uncertainties, and Gevo does not commit to updating these statements.
In other developments, Gevo has acquired Red Trail Energy’s ethanol production plant and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) assets for $210 million. This acquisition, based in North Dakota, is expected to enhance Gevo’s sustainability efforts and production capabilities, with the facility capable of sequestering up to 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
