Gevo Inc. CEO Patrick Gruber discussed plans for a proposed 30 MMgy alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) project in North Dakota during the company’s first quarter earnings call, held May 13. The company has not disclosed a timeline for development of the project.
Gevo in February closed on the acquisition of Red Trail Energy, a 67 MMgy ethanol plant located near Richardton, North Dakota. The facility, now known as Gevo North Dakota, includes an onsite carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
During the earnings call, Gruber indicated Gevo currently believes it can get an ATJ facility built in North Dakota faster than in South Dakota, which is the proposed site of Gevo’s Net Zero 1 SAF plant. The North Dakota project could be accomplished by leveraging design and engineering work that has already been completed for Net Zero 1. Gruber indicated the North Dakota SAF plant would likely have an initial capacity of 30 MMgy, approximately half the size of the proposed Net Zero 1 facility in South Dakota.
Gevo, however, has not abandoned work on the Net Zero 1 project. The company in 2024 secured a conditional commitment for a $1.46 billion U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee to support the project. That conditional commitment is still in place, Gruber said, noting the company expects to continue to progress the project to an eventual financial close.
The fate of the Summit Carbon Solution’s proposed CO2 pipeline project is one issue holding up the Net Zero 1 project. Gruber indicated it would be possible to develop the South Dakota plant without the Summit pipeline but is waiting for more clarity on the issue.
Gruber also discussed the progress the company is making with regards to the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit. He said the company has received approval from the Internal Revenue Service to apply for the 45Z credit.
In addition to the North Dakota facility, Gevo also currently operates a renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Iowa, which produced 79,963 MMBtu of RNG during the first quarter.
For the first quarter, Gevo reported combined operating revenue and investment income of $30 million. The RNG subsidiary generated $5.7 million in revenue during the three-month period, up $1.7million when compared to the same quarter of last year. Loss from operations was $20.1 million. Net loss per share was 9 cents.
