Biofuel producer Gevo is to collaborate with nutrition and agricultural origination and processing company ADM on the production of SAF and other low carbon footprint hydrocarbon fuels.

Both ethanol and isobutanol will be transformed into renewable low carbon footprint hydrocarbons, including SAF, using Gevo's processing technology and capabilities. About 900 million gallons of ethanol produced at ADM's dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Decatur, Illinois, is expected to be processed utilising this technology, resulting in approximately 500 million gallons of SAF and other renewable hydrocarbons. The isobutanol is expected to be produced at a proposed new facility in Decatur that would employ ADM's carbon capture and sequestration capabilities.

“The potential conversion of 900 million gallons of ethanol, more than half of our production capacity, to serve growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel would represent a major step in the continued evolution of our Carbohydrate Solutions business to focus increasingly on new, high growth opportunities,” says ADM chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. “Carbohydrate Solutions is unlocking new value and meeting customer needs through the growth of our BioSolutions platform, with agreements like our LG Chem MoU; sustainable solutions supported by our carbon capture capabilities, like our net-zero carbon milling footprint in the US; and the completion of our dry mill review, with the sale of our Peoria facility and this exciting collaboration with Gevo.”

“Our potential customer contract pipeline has grown to over one billion gallons,” adds Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber, PhD. “By working with ADM, which already has committed to reducing its carbon footprint, we have the opportunity to accelerate scale. The technology to convert low carbon ethanol and isobutanol into SAF by Gevo is well developed and ready for world scale commercialisation.”

Demand for SAF is expected to increase as major US airlines, airports, shippers and the US government have agreed to work together to advance the use of cleaner sustainable fuels. The US and the EU have set goals that together would support almost four billion gallons of annual SAF production in 2030, and more than 45 billion by 2050.

The companies intend to determine full commercialisation plans for the production of SAF from 2025 or 2026.