Gevo, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted the company a patent for its innovative ethanol-to-olefins (ETO) process. This patent strengthens Gevo’s leadership in intellectual property related to bio-based renewable fuel and chemical production from alcohols. The newly awarded U.S. Patent No. 12,043,587 B2 covers the ETO process, which employs proprietary catalyst combinations to efficiently convert ethanol into olefins. The process is designed to achieve superior yields and cost efficiency while improving energy use, ultimately reducing the cost of producing biofuels and biochemicals.

Olefins, which are hydrocarbons with three or four carbon atoms, serve as essential building blocks for producing fuels and chemicals. Current technologies produce ethylene (a two-carbon olefin) from ethanol, but additional steps are required to make larger, more useful olefins such as propylene and butenes. Gevo’s patented ETO process, however, allows for the production of these valuable three- and four-carbon olefins directly from ethanol in a single step, with high selectivity and control. This streamlined process is expected to lower energy consumption and capital expenses by reducing the number of operational steps, ultimately simplifying the overall design of the process.

The technology can be optimized for both fuel and chemical production. In fact, Gevo has already licensed the chemical application of the ETO process to LG Chem, Ltd. as part of their joint development agreement. Gevo and LG Chem are working together to scale the process for chemical production.

“We’ve been developing simplified alcohol-to-olefin technology since 2007, recognizing that cost-effective, reliable processes for producing olefins are critical to manufacturing jet fuel, gasoline, and plastics,” said Dr. Pat Gruber, CEO of Gevo. “Our mission is to make the transition from fossil-based to renewable fuels and chemicals practical. Low-cost, drop-in products are key to this transition. The ETO process, protected by this patent, represents a significant improvement in terms of both capital cost and energy efficiency, enabling the production of biofuels like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or chemicals such as propylene from ethanol.”

Gevo aims to transform renewable energy and biogenic carbon into sustainable fuels and chemicals with a net-zero or even negative carbon footprint. Their cutting-edge technology enables the production of a wide range of products, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials. Gevo’s business model involves the development, financing, and operation of production facilities for these renewable products. The company currently operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities in the U.S. and owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuels and chemicals. Gevo underscores its commitment to sustainability by tracking and verifying the carbon footprint of its business operations through its Verity subsidiary.