Highlands EnviroFuels, LLC (“Highlands”) has signed a letter of intent with Gevo to license its bio-isobutanol production technology. Highlands will build a commercial-scale “Brazilian-style” syrup mill in Highlands County, Florida, which would have a production capacity of approximately 200 ktpa of fermentable sugar.

The facility will process locally grown sugar cane and sweet sorghum to a high quality syrup as a clean sugar stream for fermentation and recovery of isobutanol. The isobutanol plant would be bolted on to the back-end of the syrup mill and have a nameplate capacity of approximately 20-25 million gallons per year.

Highlands said isobutanol, in particular, has a significant market opportunity in Florida with the boating industry given isobutanol’s favorable properties as compared to ethanol.