On the 16th of last month (local time), upon arriving at the GEVO ethanol plant in Richardton, North Dakota, three corn storage silos, four fermentation tanks, one temporary ethanol storage tank, and other gray steel installations stood in rows. Around them, intricate metal piping, stairs, and steel structures were intertwined.
The Gevo North Dakota plant spans about 610,000 pyeong (500 acres) and produces 65 million gallons (168,000 tons) of ethanol annually using about 23 million bushels (584,000 tons) of corn as feedstock each year. The low-carbon ethanol produced here is supplied across the United States and Canada, including low-carbon fuel demand markets in the western part of North America such as Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta.
The production process also yields a variety of byproducts, including 125,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), 80,000 tons of wet distillers grains with solubles, and millions of pounds of corn oil. These byproducts are recycled into livestock feed or biochemicals feedstock to add value.
◇ America's first CCS ethanol plant, Gevo
At first glance, Gevo North Dakota looks like a typical bioethanol facility. But a look inside shows Gevo's role goes beyond that. Of the 11 buildings covering milling, mixing, fermentation, distillation, refining, and storage, the most eye-catching is the carbon capture installation.
Gevo is the first in the United States to secure State Governments approval for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility and, through it, obtains carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits. It captures 100% of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) generated in production and permanently stores it in the Broom Creek formation 1 mile (about 1.6 kilometers) underground. The facility can store up to 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and has stored about 500,000 tons to date.
Kent Glasser, head of the Gevo plant, said, "Among ethanol plants, this is the only place that can store carbon right next to the plant," adding, "Other plants have to transport it by pipeline or rail." Glasser also noted, "Looking across western North Dakota, it appears we can store more than 4.5 billion tons of carbon."
◇ From ethanol to jet fuel, taking on AtJ technology
Gevo leads development of AtJ (alcohol-to-jet) technology in the United States. AtJ converts ethanol made from sugarcane or corn into jet fuel. Along with HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids), which makes jet fuel from used cooking oil, and PtL (power-to-liquids), which synthesizes carbon dioxide and hydrogen, it is considered a next-generation production technology for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The reason this technology is advancing rapidly in the United States is that the country has sufficient feedstock, technology, and funding support. Corn is grown on about 94 million acres (11.51 billion pyeong) of land in the United States. The U.S. government operates policies such as the carbon capture tax credit (45Q) and the clean fuel tax credit (45Z). Unlike Europe, which focuses on policies centered on used cooking oil-based hydrotreating, the United States, with its agricultural infrastructure and ethanol production facilities, is putting its weight behind AtJ technology.
Alex Clayton, head of business development at Gevo, said, "Technology based on used cooking oil is the most widely used SAF pathway today, but it alone cannot meet rising jet fuel demand." Clayton said, "Airlines worldwide currently consume 90 billion gallons of jet fuel annually, and that is expected to double," adding, "Scaling AtJ that uses ethanol is essential."
◇ High expenses and policy uncertainty are obstacles
Still, the expense of carbon capture remains high, and AtJ technology needs time to reach commercialization, posing hurdles. According to Gevo, storing 1 ton of carbon dioxide through carbon capture currently costs $50 to $70 (about 70,000 to 100,000 won). By contrast, Korea's domestic carbon allowance price is in the low 10,000 won range, far lower by comparison.
Another obstacle is the high carbon intensity when converting ethanol to SAF. According to materials released by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in June, the carbon intensity (CI) of AtJ was 72.4 g/MJ, about 81% of conventional jet fuel (89 g/MJ). Although the purpose of adopting SAF is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum-based jet fuel, it still falls short.
To lower it, the entire supply chain must combine measures such as ▲ switching to non-fossil thermal energy like green hydrogen and wind power ▲ active use of carbon capture technology ▲ and eco-friendly farming practices by growers.
To address these issues, Gevo tracks the entire corn supply chain with a Blockchain-based platform, operates carbon capture installations, and even supports sustainable farming practices for corn growers. Erin Heitkamp, Gevo's vice president for SAF and carbon solutions in the institutional sector, said, "Combining the energy transition, carbon capture, and support for eco-friendly agriculture can drive carbon emissions into the 'negative'," emphasizing, "Government support and investment are essential to make it happen."
But policy uncertainty remains under the Trump administration's rollback of environmental policies. David Ripplinger, an associate professor in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University, said, "The Trump administration does not have strong willingness to support SAF, and policy priorities change frequently," adding, "In the end, the market will determine SAF demand."