US clean technology company Gevo has developed a catalytic process that converts waste alcohols into renewable isoprene. The company Gevo expects the isoprene produced by its proprietary process will be able to compete head-to-head on price with natural and petroleum-based chemical equivalents, while also reducing CO₂ emissions.

“Renewable, low-carbon, low-cost isoprene has been pursued by a lot of companies over the years without commercial success. This is the first time in my 30 years in this industry where I have seen what I believe to be a viable route to fully renewable, low-cost isoprene,” said Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber. “I look forward to seeing this one get commercially developed. It looks as if this technology could address a large current unmet need in the marketplace and make money.”

The technology transforms low-value fusel oils – mixtures of several alcohols produced as by-products from fermentation processes such as ethanol production – into renewable isoprene. According to Gevo, fusel oils from the ethanol industry alone equate to about 2.5 million t of potential bio-based waste feedstock.

Gruber said Gevo expects to license the technology, noting that potential licensees could be ethanol producers that want to improve the profitability of their facilities, chemical plants that want cost-competitive low-carbon isoprene, or even standalone businesses.

Isoprene is used primarily to make synthetic rubber. The market for isoprene is estimated to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7% or more to reach a value of around $4 billion by 2025, Gevo said, driven by growth in the automotive sector.