Redfield Energy Delays Isobutanol Conversion from Ethanol Project, as Gevo Tweaks Technology

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Redfield Energy LLC (Redfield, South Dakota), a cooperative, is delaying a plant retrofit project that was to convert the company's 55 million-gallon-per-year, corn-based fuel ethanol plant in Redfield, North Dakota, to produce Isobutanol.

Gevo (Englewood, Colorado), a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, is working on tweaking its process technology at Agri Energy's 20 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Luverne, Minnesota. Recently, Gevo announced the company was issued a new patent on methods that are expected to improve biofuel production.

Gevo has been trying to reach a capacity goal of producing 1 million gallons per month as one of the key elements of its commercialization strategy. Until the bugs are worked out of the Gevo technology, Redfield, which plans on using the technology for its Redfield plant, says it will hold off converting the plant until the fall of 2013.

The $50 million-plus project that is expected to produce some 40 million gallons per year of bio-based Isobutanol is now targeted for completion in the fall of 2014.

Redfield does not expect any cost increases. The company wants to be sure the process is running at its peak performance in Luverne before starting on the conversion at the plant.

Industrial Info's databases provide a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. Our North American Biodiesel Database covers 141 operational plants and 97 plants under development. Our North American Ethanol Database covers 216 operational plants and 118 plants in various development phases. Our North American Wood Fuel Pellet Database includes 68 operational plants producing more than 25,000 tons annually, and 40 projects in progress.

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