Gevo reports targeting “break-even at Luverne by year-end”.

“By running the SBS we have dramatically reduced our cash burn at the plant and we are targeting breakeven at Luverne by year end,”  Gevo CEO Pat Gruber is reporting.

Gevo also reported that Isobutanol yields have reached >90% of target based on starch content, up from approximately 70% prior to running its new side-by-side production mode. It added that it has “successfully produced isobutanol at initial run rates of tens of thousands of gallons per month in a commercial-scale one million liter fermenter.”

The company added that it has reduced isobutanol batch cash costs by >25% since beginning SBS, “with a clear path towards targeted economic rates”, produced and sold IDGs (animal feed from isobutanol production); achieved 100% recycle streams (up from 90%), and while consistently producing sterile mash, controlling infections and growing isobutanol producing yeast.

The company also said that “GIFT continues to work as designed (controlling the concentration of isobutanol to desired levels in the fermentation broth, by removing and collecting the isobutanol for further downstream processing), and that “no yeast cross-contamination is being experienced from the ethanol system.”

In the beginning of June, Gevo commenced the “side by side” co-production of isobutanol and ethanol, with one fermenter dedicated to isobutanol production and three fermenters dedicated to ethanol production. This follows the company’s announcement in May that it had begun production of ethanol. The benefits of simultaneously producing isobutanol and ethanol using the SBS, the company says, are:

1) it facilitates the process optimization of commercial-scale isobutanol production;

2) it maximizes the utilization of the plant to generate cash by utilizing all the fermentation assets; and

3) it demonstrates the simultaneous production of isobutanol and ethanol, for the benefit of potential licensee partners who are interested in augmenting the fermentation capacities of their ethanol plants to co-produce isobutanol.