Amyris engineers new metabolic pathways in industrial microbes (bacteria or yeast) to produce a large range of molecules (isoprenoids) used in energy, pharmaceutical, and chemical applications via fermentation of sugar from plant-based feedstocks. The end product can be a “drop-in” hydrocarbon fuel. The renewable diesel project uses a modified yeast.

Third-party testing indicates that Amyris renewable diesel fuel, which is blended with petroleum diesel, overcomes a number of the challenges facing current biofuels:

• Unlike biodiesel and ethanol, Amyris renewable diesel is a hydrocarbon—the same component found in today’s petroleum fuels—enabling it to blend with petroleum diesel at much higher levels than typical biofuels without causing performance issues.

• Amyris renewable diesel works well at extremely low temperatures without having to alter engines and can be easily distributed within the existing fuels infrastructure.

• Amyris renewable diesel blended with petroleum diesel fully complies with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-975 specifications for petroleum diesel fuels.

• Amyris renewable diesel contains zero sulfur and virtually no harmful aromatics, and when blended with petroleum diesel it results in significantly less particulate matter, NO_x, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions than petroleum fuels.

Amyris is working on the development and commercialization of a range of renewable products, including diesel fuel, jet fuel and specialty chemicals.