KiOR, Inc

KiOR is a next-generation renewable fuels company that has developed a proprietary technology platform to convert biomass into renewable crude oil that is processed into gasoline, diesel and fuel oil blendstocks. The company built the first commercial scale cellulosic fuel facility in Columbus, MS, which started production in 2012. KiOR strives to help ease dependence on foreign oil, reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and create high-quality jobs and economic benefit across rural communities.

Key differentiating factors about KiOR include:

Breakthrough technology that leverages proven process
“Copy exact” expansion strategy that can allow it to scale up more rapidly
Ability to use of abundant non-food feedstocks
Drops-in to the existing fuel infrastructure
Access to a vast global market and large base of customers
Experienced management team that can deliver accelerated growth.

Technology

KiOR has developed a proprietary technology platform to convert sustainable, low-cost, non-food biomass into a hydrocarbon-based renewable crude oil. Using standard refining equipment, the company processes its renewable crude into gasoline and diesel blendstocks that can utilize the existing transportation fuel infrastructure for use in vehicles on the road today.

In essence, KiOR’s technology simply reduces the time it takes to produce oil from millions of years to a matter of seconds. The company’s technology platform combines its proprietary catalyst systems with a process based on existing Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) technology, a standard process used for over 60 years in oil refining. The efficiency of KiOR’s process, called Biomass Fluid Catalytic Cracking (BFCC), and the proven nature of catalytic cracking technologies allow for significant cost advantages, including lower capital and operating costs, versus traditional biofuels producers.

KiOR processes its renewable crude oil in a conventional hydrotreater, which is a standard process unit used in oil refineries, into gasoline and diesel blendstocks that can be combined with existing fossil-based fuels and used in vehicles on the road today.

Below is a step-by-step overview of KiOR’s process. Roll over the numbers to learn more about each step and click the play button to see an animation of the process.