US-headed advanced renewable fuel and biochemicals company Aemetis Inc. has announced that it has engaged compatriot Koch Project Solutions, LLC (KPS), a subsidiary of Koch Engineered Solutions LLC to provide front-end engineering, design, and project execution management services for expansion projects being built by Aemetis.
The Aemetis “Carbon Zero 1” renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel plant has a planned capacity of about 23 million (US) gallons (≈ 87 million litres) per year. The facility will be located at the 142-acre Riverbank Industrial Complex, a former US Army ammunition plant in Riverbank, California (CA).
The world is adopting new processes to produce low carbon renewable fuels and reduce transportation sector emissions. We look forward to drawing on the extensive resources and experience of Koch Project Solutions, a subsidiary of Koch Engineered Solutions, to maximize the efficiency and value of these projects, said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis.
The Carbon Zero process converts renewable waste biomass into hydrogen. Using solar and hydro-electric power, the hydrogen is combined with low carbon feedstocks to produce zero carbon, drop-in jet, and diesel fuel, usable in today’s airplane, truck, and ship fleets without engine modifications or changes in fueling infrastructure.
Aemetis is bringing an innovative approach to renewable fuels by integrating both the agricultural and supply chain aspects of the industry. As part of Koch Engineered Solutions, KPS is well-positioned to bring expertise in a variety of engineering areas to deliver superior performance to these projects. This partnership supports our vision to continually find ways to create greater value while consuming fewer resources, said Paul Switzer, President of Koch Project Solutions.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 28 percent of American carbon emissions are emitted by the transportation sector, posing a significant challenge to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
New business mandates that include corporate climate commitments and Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) investing are significantly increasing the demand for low-carbon transportation alternatives.
We expect the Aemetis Carbon Zero 1 biorefinery at the Riverbank site will be one of the first large-scale utilization of renewable hydrogen from waste biomass to produce drop-in renewable jet and diesel fuel. The Carbon Zero process produces very low carbon fuels to decarbonize transportation vehicles that carry heavier loads and travel long distances, including cargo and passenger airlines as well as commercial trucks and ships, said Eric McAfee.
Aemetis expects that the renewable fuels, when used in aviation, trucking, hybrid electric vehicles, or other vehicle engines, will have a “below zero-carbon” greenhouse gas footprint across the entire lifecycle of the fuel, based on the Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model, the pre-eminent science-based lifecycle analysis (LCA) model.
In order to mitigate or reverse climate change, new clean energy technology solutions are required to meet the transportation sector’s growing demand for low carbon fuels. Aemetis Carbon Zero’s readiness and scalability separate it from other renewable fuel production technologies, said Eric McAfee.
The Aemetis Carbon Zero 1 project, the Aemetis Biogas renewable natural gas (RNG) project, and energy efficiency upgrades to the Aemetis Keyes biorefinery include US$38 million of grant funding and other support from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the US Forest Service, the California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and PG&E’s energy efficiency program.
