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    LG Chem Extends Deal to Develop Gevo's Ethanol-to-Olefins Process for Producing Bioplastics

    Dec. 17, 2024
    Bio-propylene is pivotal in growing a bioplastic market and circular economy and can replace fossil-based products as raw material for plastics.
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    Biofuels developer Gevo will extend its partnership with global chemicals firm LG Chem for converting ethanol to olefins, which can be used in more carbon-efficient polymerization and eventually, produce bioplastics.

    Under the joint development agreement, LG Chem will advance work on deploying Gevo’s ethanol-to-olefins (ETO) technology and accelerating commercialization of polymer and bioplastic products from that process.

    Olefins and propylene are compounds utilized in the petrochemical industry for products such as types of plastics for packaging, films, fibers, containers and enclosures.

    “Our ethanol-to-olefin process holds immense promise to decarbonize a substantial portion of the market for propylene, and LG Chem is starting commercial activities ahead of the timeline we originally planned,” said Gevo’s Chief Carbon and Innovation Officer, Paul Bloom, in a statement.

    Historically, polymerization is a carbon-intensive process involving fossil gases. Gevo says its ETO technology can target carbon-neutral or carbon-negative replacements for traditional petroleum-based building blocks.

    These are core olefins that can be used for renewable fuels and chemicals, including sustainable aviation fuel and bio-propylene.

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Gevo a patent for its ETO process in September. The patient protects Gevo’s process of using certain catalyst combinations to convert ethanol into olefins, while improving energy efficiencies and reducing carbon footprints.

    The company’s new ETO method “makes three and/or four carbon olefins in addition to ethylene from ethanol in a single step with a high degree of selectivity and control, which is critical for success,” according to a Gevo release on the patent grant. “The ETO process is expected to reduce energy and capital cost because of the fewer unit operations involved; and reduce complexity of the process design.”

    Bio-propylene is pivotal in growing a bioplastic market and circular economy, the company says. It can replace fossil-based products as raw material for plastics. Ethanol is produced from corn and grain and is blended into much of the automobile gasoline sold in the U.S.

    The biopropylene end product is expected to be used as a drop-in replacement for use in a range of products from auto parts to flooring to diapers to replace petroleum products with bio-based materials with a low or negative carbon footprint, upon achieving commercialization.

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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