image: Genomatica
Talk about recycling: “Green chemicals” startup Genomatica on Wednesday said it has bioengineered a petroleum-free version of a widely used industrial solvent that can be produced in shuttered ethanol plants.
You’ve most likely never heard of the chemical, methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK, but it is used as a solvent in paint and other coatings. Genomatic says it has bioengineered a microbe that ingests sugar and water and produces MEK without the toxic byproducts and environmental risks that come from making petroleum-based industrial chemicals.
The San Diego company – backed by Silicon Valley venture capital firms Mohr Davidow Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson – last year produced its first green chemical in the lab, 1,4‐butanediol, or BDO, which is a raw material found in everything from skateboard wheels to spandex. Genomatica plans to license its bio-chemicals to industrial producers.
When it came time to develop its next product, Genomatic CEO Christopher Gann says the company targeted a chemical that could be produced by existing industrial plants. “We said is it possible to shorten the development cycle by using existing assets,” Gann, a veteran of a veteran of Dow Chemical (DOW), told Green Wombat. “Can we develop a bioprocess for a chemical that would operate in the same conditions as corn ethanol.”
Why ethanol? The financial crisis has left a couple dozen ethanol plants idle. Gann and Genomatica president Christophe Schilling determined that existing ethanol plans could easily be repurposed to produce MEK. That’s potentially a win-win situation: Capital costs are kept to a minimum as new chemical factories don’t have to be built, while ethanol producers get a new lease on the life of their plants.
The food-versus-fuel controversy that has plagued corn ethanol producers is unlikely to pose a problem for Genomatica as the United States’ annual production of MEK is only about 57 million gallons (not 57,000 gallons as Green Wombat originally reported.), according to Gann. Still, it’s an attractively big market — about $2 billion, Gann estimates.
At least one ethanol producer, DAK Renewable Energy, has expressed interest in modifying some of its plants to make MEK, according to Genomatica.
So far, bio-MEK has only been produced in small batches in Genomatica’s lab. Meanwhile, Gann says the company is about to embark on a fundraising round to finance the construction of a demonstration plant in Southern California to produce BDO.
It’s actually 1, 4 Butanediol or BDO, not DBO.
I would be very curious to see what the yields of these bacteria are and the relative volume of production. MEK by biological processing sounds interesting but the yields, equipment changes at these closed MEK plants, as well as other considerations are significant hurdles before we’ll see commercial success.
As for BDO, the demand is in the billions of pounds, and I doubt the green friendly process has a lot of viability in the markets BDO serves, with exception of some niche markets.
Something is wrong with the market numbers. At $2Billion/57,000 gallons works out to $35,000 per gallon.
$2 billion is the value of the global market.
I can buy a gallon of MEK for $20 at my local hardware store. I think annual production of 57 million gallons (not 57,000) would be closer to actuality.
To bad MEK is a known cancer causing agent. What’s GREEN about that?
it is a step in the right direction. If you look at the evolution of process devolpment, efficenies are created over time. When the wave of early adopters get a hold of technologies like this more minds will be on it and it may move forward.
“Arries” writes “To bad MEK is a known cancer causing agent.”
Coffee is a known cancer-causing agent. What’s your point?
Paul
Comparing coffe to MEK is like comparing milk to gasoline. I work on boats and am familiar enough with MEK which is used as a solvent for epoxy and polyester resins. It’s dangerous enough that I won’t use it, despite the fact that I use other dangerous chemicals. I’m not saying they shouldn’t make it, but your remark is uninformed.
I know of a company called The Renewable Corporation (RNWC) that is taking ‘green chemicals’ to a whole new level by using sugarcane ethanol to create ethylene for plastics and a variety of other chemical compounds.. a much better solution.. not using petroleum.
Richard –
Sorry my attempt at sarcasm fell a little flat with you. I was trying to very succinctly 🙂 say a couple of things, the first being that saying that something shouldn’t be done because it causes cancer is essentially meaningless. You say comparing coffee to MEK is like comparing milk to gasoline – well, not only does gasoline cause cancer, milk causes cancer! It’s useless to say that something causes cancer without (at least) talking about what the statistical relevance of the risk is, and, even then, there are many things that cause cancer that, in balance, we find worthwhile to do anyway. (I use gasoline every day, for example. Not to mention milk.)
The further point I was trying to lead to from that was that I don’t believe saying MEK causes cancer is meaningful (let alone useful) in the discussion of whether using idled ethanol plants to produce it is ‘green.’ Whatever the method of producing MEK industrially is, it seems reasonable to at least start with the assumption that brewing it would have a net lower effect on the environment than refining it, ergo, I’d think it qualifies as ‘green.’ I’d think it at least deserves careful and thoughtful consideration.
I hope this expansion helps illuminate my earlier comment’s point…