Gevo, Inc., a leading developer of renewable fuels and chemicals, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the company U.S. Patent No. 12,043,587 B2 for its ethanol to olefins (ETO) process. This patent bolsters Gevo's intellectual property portfolio and solidifies its position as a pioneer in bio-based renewable fuel and chemical production from alcohols.
The patented ETO process utilizes proprietary catalyst combinations to convert ethanol directly into olefins—hydrocarbons that are essential building blocks for producing fuels and chemicals. Traditional methods typically produce ethylene, a two-carbon olefin, from ethanol and require additional steps to create larger, more useful olefins like propylene and butenes, which contain three or four carbon atoms. Gevo's process efficiently produces these larger olefins in a single step with high selectivity and control.
"We’ve been pursuing simplified alcohol-to-olefin technology since 2007, understanding that low-cost, robust processes to make the right olefins are critical steps to produce jet fuel, gasoline, and plastics," said Dr. Pat Gruber, CEO of Gevo. "It's our mission to make the transition practical from fossil-based to renewable fuels and chemicals. 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, or chemicals like propylene, from ethanol."
The ETO process is designed to offer best-in-class cost and yield of olefins from ethanol while improving energy efficiency. By reducing the number of unit operations and simplifying the process design, the technology is expected to lower both energy consumption and capital costs, making biofuels and biochemicals more economically competitive.
Gevo has licensed the chemical production aspect of the ETO technology to LG Chem, Ltd., under a previously disclosed joint development agreement. The two companies are collaborating to scale up the process for commercial chemical production.
"This patent protects our innovative approach of converting ethanol into valuable olefins more efficiently," Dr. Gruber added. "Key to making the transition are low-cost, drop-in products. Our ETO process represents a significant advancement in producing renewable fuels and chemicals that can seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure."
The granting of this patent reinforces Gevo's commitment to developing sustainable technologies that facilitate the shift away from fossil fuels. With this advancement, the company aims to accelerate the commercialization of renewable energy solutions that have a lower environmental impact while meeting global energy demands.
