New Biofuel Passes Another Test

WisconsinAgriculturalist.com
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 8:28 AM

We've been covering the company Gevo, a Colorado-based firm that bought an ethanol plant in Luverne, Minn., and is converting it to a different type of biofuel - isobutanol. The biofuel has a higher energy rating than ethanol, can be pipelined and also has added value in the chemical market.

This week, the company announced small engine test results where it was tested against a blend of ethanol and gasoline.

Working with the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and Briggs & Stratton, Gevo test blends of the biofuel and gasoline. Small engines are a tough test platform because they can be more finicky than complex motor vehicle engines (Briggs, please do not write, I know how much engineering goes into those engines). Ethanol blends have long performed well in small engine applications, but you can make isobutanol with corn and it has other properties that may make it more desirable when it's possible to produce at commercial levels.

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