Gevo Advances Cost-Competitive Sustainable Aviation Fuel with Alcohol-to-Jet Technology, Exceeding Industry Standards
Key Insights
Gevo Inc. is advancing its Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) and Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) pathways to produce cost-competitive Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from bio-based feedstocks.
The company's ATJ SAF meets or exceeds stringent ASTM D1655/7566 standards for jet fuel, demonstrating superior performance characteristics like lower freezing point and higher energy density.
Gevo's fuel is both chemically synthesized and sustainable, leveraging renewable inputs, carbon capture, and blockchain-based lifecycle tracking to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions.
With facilities like the ATJ60 under development, Gevo aims to scale production of its carbon-abated SAF, positioning itself as a key player in aviation's decarbonization efforts.
Gevo Inc., a U.S.-based clean energy company, is advancing its Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) and Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) pathways, demonstrating a cost-competitive approach to producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from bio-based feedstocks. This development marks a significant step towards decarbonizing the aviation sector, with Gevo's ATJ SAF already proven to meet or exceed critical industry specifications, positioning it as a viable direct replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel.
The company's ATJ SAF, derived from industrial corn via fermentation to isobutanol, has undergone rigorous testing, confirming its compliance with ASTM D1655/7566 specifications, which permit blending up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel, though test flights have successfully utilized 100 percent SAF. Performance metrics underscore its superior characteristics: a flash point of 45 to 50 degrees Celsius, well above the 38 degrees Celsius minimum; a freezing point of -78 degrees Celsius, significantly lower than the Jet A-1 standard of -47 degrees Celsius; and an energy density of 44.0 MJ/kg, surpassing Jet A-1's 42.9 MJ/kg minimum. Furthermore, the fuel boasts a total sulfur content of less than 0.00 percent, far below the 0.3 percent maximum.
Gevo's approach distinguishes itself by synthesizing jet fuel molecules from biologically derived alcohols, ensuring that while chemically synthesized, the fuel meets stringent sustainability criteria. This dual nature allows Gevo's product to be certified as sustainable aviation fuel under the ATJ-SPK pathway. The company's sustainability strategy extends beyond feedstock, incorporating renewable electricity in production, integrating carbon capture and sequestration to reduce carbon intensity, and utilizing distributed ledger technology based on blockchain for transparent lifecycle carbon tracking.
The company is actively developing its ATJ60 facility in Lake Preston, South Dakota, alongside its North Dakota ethanol-production facility, which includes carbon capture and sequestration capabilities. Gevo positions itself as a "carbon-aware fuels company," focusing on delivering cost-competitive fuels, maximizing carbon abatement through advanced technologies, and promoting regenerative agriculture to lower input emissions and enhance soil health. This integrated strategy aims to provide a comprehensive solution for reducing aviation's environmental impact, offering a pathway to significantly lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, potentially by 70-90 percent compared to fossil jet fuel.