Catalytic conversion of sugar into conventional gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other hydrocarbons.

The world sugar industry is predominantly focused on supplying two end markets, sweeteners and ethanol. Virent Energy System's BioForming process provides new market opportunities to the sugar industry by enabling the conversion of sugar-based feedstocks into conventional liquid fuels and chemicals. The renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel produced using Virent's Bioforming® technology match petroleum fuels in composition, functionality, and performance. They can be stand-alone products, used at high blends with petroleum fuels, or blended with ethanol. A key component of the process is Virent's patented aqueous phase reforming (APR) technology that converts sugars into hydrogen and chemical intermediates that can be further processed into gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel components. The ability to produce multiple products from a single feedstock makes possible a true biorefinery in which the production of fuels or chemicals can be varied based on current market conditions. The BioForming process offers distinct advantages to conventional ethanol production. The process uses minimal energy to convert a broad range of conventional and non-food feedstocks into an array of energy-dense fuels that are compatible with today's engine and pipeline infrastructure. In addition, the BioForming process has the ability to process C5 sugars, derived from the hemicellulose fraction of bagasse, increasing the fuel product yields per acre by more than 30 percent versus processing sucrose alone. The BioForming technology significantly expands the options available to sugar producers for adding value to their primary sugar crops and for addressing new markets. Preliminary economic analysis suggests that converting sugars to conventional liquid fuels using Virent's BioForming process can economically compete with petroleum fuels at crude oil prices greater than $60/bbl.