Gevo announced that it has produced the world’s first cellulosic renewable jet fuel that is specified for use on commercial flights.
The company produced over 1,000 gallons of Alcohol-to-Jet fuel (ATJ) fuel by converting renewable isobutanol which was made from cellulosic sugars derived from wood waste by using its patented technologies.
Gevo said that ATJ is in line with the ASTM D7566 specification that allows its usage on commercial flights.
Using the cellulosic jet fuel, Alaska Airlines is expected to run the first commercial flight in the next few months.
Gevo chief executive officer Dr. Patrick Gruber said: “Gevo’s production of this cellulosic ATJ removes all doubt that cellulosic sugars can be successfully converted into isobutanol using Gevo’s technology.
“Gevo’s ATJ technology then reliably converts isobutanol into renewable jet fuel, regardless of the sugar source. I’m looking forward to seeing this fuel power an Alaska Airlines flight in the near future.”
Alaska Airlines had already flown two commercial flights on Gevo’s ATJ in June of this year.
For the June flights, the ATJ was derived from isobutanol produced at Gevo’s Luverne production facility.
Gevo has produced the cellulosic ATJ by partnering with the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), which supplied the sugars that were derived from forest residuals in the Pacific Northwest.
NARA is a five-year project supported by the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and is comprised of 33 member organizations from industry, academia and government laboratories.
Gevo produced the cellulosic renewable isobutanol at its demonstration facility in St. Joseph, Missouri, US. Later, the cellulosic renewable isobutanol was then transported to Gevo’s biorefinery facility in Silsbee, Texas.