Algenol LLC (Ft. Myers, Fla.; www.algenol.com) has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved fuels made from Algenol’s process as an advanced biofuel, meeting the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Fuels produced by Algenol are now eligible for a Renewable Identification Number (RIN) under the D-5 classification. The EPA’s approval of Algenol’s patented Direct-to-Ethanol Pathway covers its biocrude coproduct under an already existing pathway.
RINs can be purchased by blenders to document compliance with the RFS. As part of this approval, the EPA determined that ethanol produced from the Algenol process resulted in an approximate 69% reduction in greenhouse gases when compared to gasoline.