Evolgene revolutionizes 2G ethanol with disruptive technology

The Spanish company Evolgene has positioned itself at the global forefront of technology for obtaining SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), the acronym that is already changing the international aviation industry.

Since January 1, the use of sustainable fuels in commercial aircraft is mandatory, and an exponential increase in SAF is expected in the coming years. Behind this alternative to kerosene, which allows for the efficient production of SAF, is EVOLGENE GENOMICS, the company that, with CIC nanoGUNE, was founded eleven years ago by Raúl Pérez Jiménez, one of the most prestigious biotechnologists in the world. EVOLGENE was acquired in 2023 by MYRUNS ENGINEERING SPORTS, a company created by Xabi García Roldán, considered one of the most relevant engineers in the field of international microelectronics and IC design (chips), who has also researched and published works together with Raúl Pérez Jiménez in the field of biomaterials.

The basis of this revolutionary discovery by Evolgene is a new enzymatic technology for obtaining 2G ethanol, an alcohol obtained from cellulosic waste, reducing its production cost compared to first-generation ethanol, which comes from food. The company estimates that, with one metric ton (2204.62 pounds) of eucalyptus biomass, up to 450 liters (118.88 gallons) of second-generation ethanol can be obtained, according to data audited by the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT).

The scientific basis for the production of this 2G ethanol, which serves as sustainable fuel not only for airplanes through SAF but also for land and maritime transport, consists of a double process, each more innovative than the last. The first is called ASR (Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction) and enables the obtaining of enzymes from billions of years ago whose properties make them ideal for operating in industrial processes. The second process is based on the reproduction of an optimized enzyme cocktail, through a secretion process from genetically modified organisms.

Evolgene's primary goal is the production of 2G ethanol at a cost of less than 0.40 cents per liter (0.11 cents per gallon), which would make it economically competitive with existing hydrocarbons. Unlike its international competitors, Evolgene has the capacity for in situ reproduction of its enzyme cocktail within the 2G ethanol production chain itself.

The next goal is to achieve the construction, in consortium with companies in the sector, of two refineries before 2030, to expand to about twenty facilities in the following 5 years and thus become world leaders in the production chain.

The widespread use of SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to air transport by up to 80%, and the European regulation that has just come into force establishes a progressive schedule for its use in the aviation world, starting with 2% in 2025 and reaching 70% in 2050.