Redfield Energy ethanol plant to convert to Gevo isobutanol process

In Colorado, Gevo has formed a joint venture with Redfield Energy to retrofit Redfield’s existing ethanol plant into an isobutanol plant, with an expected production capacity of approximately 38 MGy.

The retrofit is expected to commence by year end 2011, and Gevo expects to begin commercial production of isobutanol at the facility in the fourth quarter of 2012. Gevo will provide the technology and capital necessary to retrofit Redfield’s existing 50 MGPY ethanol facility and, in exchange, will receive an equity interest in Redfield.  Redfield owns a 50 MGPY ethanol production facility located two miles north of Redfield, SD.

The facility is a dry mill facility, which uses ICM, Inc. technology and became operational in April 2007, with the capacity to process approximately 18 million bushels of corn into ethanol per year. The plant also produces approximately 160,000 tons of modified wet and dried distiller’s grain.   The cost of the retrofit was not disclosed.