by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass seeks to commercialize novel catalytic technology for low cost conversion of ethanol into hydrocarbon fuels to overcome obstacles that limit ethanol use in gasoline for light duty vehicles and open up new ethanol markets for aircraft and heavy-duty vehicles as well as for chemicals. Vertimass plans to partner with ethanol producers to integrate this technology into existing ethanol plants (current U.S. production ~ 14 billion gallons/year) as rapidly as possible to overcome the blend wall and provide market flexibility.
This novel catalyst can also help the airline industry achieve their targets to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, Vertimass technology has the potential to expand opportunities to use ethanol from corn in the United States, cane sugar in Brazil, and cellulosic biomass worldwide.
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Vertimass LLC was awarded a worldwide exclusive license for novel catalyst technology invented at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the conversion of ethanol into jet fuel, diesel fuel, and gasoline blendstocks that are compatible with the current transportation fuel infrastructure. These blendstocks are anticipated to qualify for the Renewable Fuel Standard at the same level as the ethanol used as the feedstock. The technology can also inexpensively convert ethanol into renewable chemicals.
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The Vertimass process for transforming ethanol into hydrocarbons benefits from:
- Simplicity,
- Virtually complete conversion of ethanol into hydrocarbons,
- No hydrogen addition,
- Production of minimal light gases,
- Mild (relatively low temperature and atmospheric pressure) operating conditions,
- Ability to process 5% to 100% ethanol concentrations,
- Product flexibility to respond to changing market demands,
- Bolt onto to existing ethanol plants with very low capital and operating costs,
- Potential ability to replace dehydration and rectification,
- Potential to reduce energy and water use for ethanol production, and
- Potential to increase corn grind or other feedstock feed rates to existing processes
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The primary advantage of the technology is that it revolves about a one stage conversion of ethanol to hydrocarbons without adding hydrogen. The result is low capital and operating costs and the ability to rapidly add on the process to ethanol plants. READ MORE