Technology development
Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels will complete the development of biobutanol technology that has been underway for several years under a partnership agreement between BP and DuPont.
The technology program will focus on how to produce biobutanol from sugar and starch feedstocks, including lignocellulosic feedstocks, at a price that is competitive with ethanol.
Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels will work closely with Kingston Research Limited, to demonstrate production of biobutanol at a technology demonstration plant in the UK.
In the future, Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels expects to license the technology to produce biobutanol to other biofuel producers. The company will also work with fuel blenders and distributors globally to introduce biobutanol into the fuels market.
Development of biobutanol
BP and DuPont, who have created Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, have been working on biobutanol development for a number of years. They have undertaken an extensive technology development program to demonstrate the benefits of biobutanol and to develop the manufacturing technology.
The companies have developed an extensive IP portfolio, including more than 70 patent applications.
The companies have also tested biobutanol in real vehicles on real roads – covering a distance of more than 1.5 million vehicle road-miles. These tests have proven that biobutanol blended at a 16% volume into fuels demonstrates excellent vehicle performance.