A Wisconsin-based bioscience company collaborating with Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-B) says it has the technology to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components, rather than ethanol.
The patented technology, created by Virent Energy Systems, Inc., of Madison, Wisconsin, could create a new class of biofuels that can be used at high blend rates in standard gasoline engines, the company said. This could potentially eliminate the need for specialized infrastructure, new engine designs and blending equipment, required for ethanol.
Virent and Shell have formed a joint effort to continue developing what Virent calls the BioFormingTM platform technology, which uses catalysts to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules like those produced at a petroleum refinery, according to a release.
Traditionally, sugars have been fermented into ethanol and distilled. Virent said these new ‘biogasoline’ molecules have higher energy content than ethanol (or butanol) and deliver better fuel efficiency. They can be blended seamlessly to make conventional gasoline or combined with gasoline containing ethanol.
The sugars can be sourced from non-food sources like corn stover, switch grass, wheat straw and sugarcane pulp, in addition to conventional biofuel feedstock like wheat, corn and sugarcane.
The companies have so far collaborated for one year on the research and said the technology has advanced rapidly, exceeding milestones for yield, product composition, and cost. Future efforts will focus on further improving the technology and scaling it up for larger volume commercial production.
Dr. Randy Cortright, Virent CTO, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President said, “Virent has proven that sugars can be converted into the same hydrocarbon mixtures of today’s gasoline blends. Our products match petroleum gasoline in functionality and performance. Virent’s unique catalytic process uses a variety of biomass-derived feedstocks to generate biogasoline at competitive costs.”
About Royal Dutch Shell plc
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 130 countries, with businesses including: oil and gas exploration; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals; and renewable energy projects including wind, solar and biofuels. www.shell.com/aboutshell
About Virent
Virent is a biofuels company commercializing an advanced biofuel technology to power today’s vehicles in place of fossil fuels. Virent’s patented BioForming™ process converts biomass-derived feedstocks into conventional hydrocarbon fuels and products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The company says the process delivers more net energy and offers a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional biofuel production routes. Virent has 68 employees located in a catalytic biorefining development facility in Madison, Wisconsin. The technology is based on the Aqueous Phase Reforming process, which Virent has exclusively licensed from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
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