Butamax Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture (JV) between BP and DuPont, has acquired Nesika Energy and its advanced ethanol facility in Scandia, Kansas, US.
Butamax is planning to commence the detailed engineering work to expand bio-isobutanol capacity of the acquired facility. The company intends to license its advanced bio-isobutanol technology for use on a global basis.
The firm is planning to use the newly acquired unit as a demonstration facility, which can be used to explain the technology for potential licensees
Produced from renewable feedstocks and alternative to isobutanol, Bio-isobutanol helps to grow renewable content of gasoline and can be blended in higher concentrations than ethanol.
It is also a lower carbon alternative to fossil-derived isobutanol in existing chemical applications.
BP alternative energy chief executive Dev Sanyal said: “With the largest operated renewables business among the major oil companies, BP is committed to being a part of the global transition to a lower-carbon future.
“We invest in renewables where we believe we can build commercially viable businesses at scale, and this project, which brings together BP’s and DuPont’s complementary expertise, is another important step in that direction.”
Butamax CEO Stuart Thomas said: “The Nesika facility will serve to demonstrate our technology at scale as well as validate process and biocatalyst improvements. Our plan is to broadly license our technology, and Nesika and the technology deployed at the site will play a key role in that activity.”
Butamax has been established to develop and commercialize bio-isobutanol as a next generation renewable biofuel and chemical. It combines DuPont’s industrial biotechnology experience and BP’s global fuels market knowledge in developing the biofuel.