After a year of ongoing development work in Malaysia, Gevo says it is strategically partnering along the supply chain to provide bio-based isobutanol at a cost-competitive price. The company is in the final stages of evaluating additional partners to complete the biomass-to-isobutanol value chain. The collaboration offers a diversified feedstock, organized approach and the opportunity to develop an economically advantaged business plan to meet this expanding market.

The technology for a sustainable cellulosic feedstock is expected to be commercially viable this year, so now is the appropriate time to begin our cellulosic platform. We’re excited to follow the demand, especially since Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing chemical markets, and Malaysia provides an excellent growth opportunity for Gevo. Our ambition is to move toward definitive agreements by the second half of 2012 with a target of having a cellulosic plant operational by late 2015 or early 2016.

—Gevo’s President and COO, Chris Ryan

The current plan under consideration is to construct a fermentation facility to produce bio-isobutanol made from cellulosic biomass. The proposed site is in the State of Terengganu at the Biorefinery Complex in Kertih.