Gevo – Next Generation Biofuels

06/12/09
9News.com

Local Company Offers Better Way to Fill Up Cars

ENGLEWOOD - Many companies are looking for the next big thing in energy-and a Colorado business believes it's found it: a way to make gasoline from corn. Advertisement

Gevo moved to Colorado a year-and-a-half ago and is already preparing to bring their product, a process for making butanol to market.

Like ethanol, butanol is a bio-fuel that is created from fermented corn. The similarities end there, however. Gevo uses bio-technology, engineering and chemistry to change the end product into hydrocarbon, which then can be turned into actual gasoline.

"We actually make a gasoline replacement, so our gasoline can go into any car on the road and no special modification is needed," said Gevo Vice President Brett Lund.

Gevo plans to convert existing ethanol plants, so they can make butanol. The company says it only takes an investment of 30 cents for every gallon the facility produces to switch it over to butanol production and even with those modifications the plant can still make ethanol, if needed.

"We leverage the existing infrastructure, we use the crops that they're already working on... and for a small investment we're able to make a much more valuable product," Lund said.

According to the company, the best part is that the fuel created with butanol will sell for less than fuels currently on the market.

"When this stuff is commercial we should win, just on price," said Gevo President Patrick Gruber.

By creating high octane gasoline out of corn, Gevo believes its product is able to take care of some of the areas where ethanol and other energy options fell short.

"This really is an area where we can bring energy security, sustainability and renewable fuels to our country. That's something that we feel we've been missing for sometime," Lund said.

Recently Gevo was selected as one of the 50 Colorado Companies to Watch. 9NEWS has partnered with the state's office of economic development to feature businesses that are making a difference in the economic recovery.