Gevo North Dakota is not just an ethanol and carbon capture facility — it is the chosen site for what Gevo believes will be the world’s first large-scale alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel plant.
The ATJ-30 Project represents the evolution of Gevo’s SAF development strategy, bringing together the site’s existing low-carbon ethanol production, proven carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure, and access to abundant North Dakota corn to create the most cost-effective pathway to commercial SAF production in the company’s history.
ATJ-30: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going
The ATJ-30 is a bolt-on growth project to produce jet fuel from existing low-carbon ethanol production at Gevo North Dakota, with an estimated construction time of two to three years. By building on infrastructure already in place at the Richardton site — including our operating ethanol plant, Class VI carbon-storage well, and proven carbon capture and sequestration system — we are able to minimize cost, construction, and start-up risks compared to a greenfield approach.
The integrated system at Gevo North Dakota combines ethanol production, CO₂ capture, and permanent sequestration, which enables Gevo to monetize its carbon in voluntary carbon markets and low-carbon fuel markets while creating cost-effective ATJ pathways to scale production of SAF.
The Economics of Low-Carbon Ethanol
Some estimates indicate that ATJ-30 would eventually be expected to add roughly $150 million of Adjusted EBITDA once operational. That is in addition to the more than $100 million of Adjusted EBITDA we see as achievable from our existing ethanol, carbon, protein, and oil operations at Gevo North Dakota — all before a jet-fuel plant is built.
Offtake and Financing Progress
Gevo has signed agreements for millions of gallons per year of future SAF production to support financing of the ATJ-30 project. The company is focused on securing the project-level financing needed to start construction on ATJ-30 as soon as possible, and is making progress toward that goal.
On April 15, 2026, Gevo withdrew from the Department of Energy financing process and is now developing alternative financing for ATJ-30, while continuing to advance toward a year-end financing timeline.
From North Dakota to the World: The Potential for Licensing and Franchise Development
The engineering, intellectual property, and operational know-how being built into the ATJ-30 facility at Gevo North Dakota are designed from the outset to be more than a single plant. They are the foundation of a replicable business system — one that Gevo intends to deploy globally through licensing and a franchise development strategy.
Gevo is developing the playbook containing our intellectual property and business system that can be replicated globally. We believe this can enable a franchise approach to deploying SAF around the world and enhance revenue generation for our technology, business systems, and expertise.
A Comprehensive IP Platform
Gevo continues to build one of the most comprehensive intellectual property positions in renewable fuels and chemicals, with more than 550 issued and pending patents associated with the conversion of bio-based feedstocks into energy-dense hydrocarbons and chemicals. The patent portfolio includes ATJ and Ethanol-to-Olefins (ETO) pathways that enable cost-effective production of SAF, renewable diesel, and renewable chemical intermediates, as well as integrated production technologies and foundational technologies for carbon management.
These patents are backed by a robust collection of trade secrets, techniques, and know-how — the accumulated deep learning of building an entirely new category of fuel production from the ground up.
Gevo has also licensed its ETO technology to Axens, forming an alliance to accelerate development of that technology for fuels — and believes ETO has the potential to significantly reduce the operating and capital costs of converting alcohols to drop-in fuels and chemicals.
Why the Franchise Model Works for SAF
The ATJ-30 project at Gevo North Dakota is the proving ground — the first large-scale commercial deployment of Gevo’s integrated ATJ technology. Once the engineering, permitting pathway, operational protocols, and carbon accounting systems are proven at scale in Richardton, that entire system becomes licensable to partners elsewhere in the world who want to produce SAF from local feedstocks and ethanol infrastructure.
The significant potential growth opportunities created by Gevo’s proprietary technology platform for SAF, other renewable hydrocarbons and chemicals, and its industry-leading carbon management system are believed to offer enormous potential on a global scale.
For a licensee or franchise partner, the benefit is substantial: instead of starting from scratch on process chemistry, carbon accounting, regulatory strategy, and facility design, they acquire a proven, optimized, and patent-protected business system — shortcutting years of development risk and cost. For Gevo, each licensed or franchised facility generates technology revenue without the full capital requirement of owning and operating every plant directly.
Gevo North Dakota is already cash-generating and has the capability to further grow Adjusted EBITDA, providing the economic foundation for ATJ expansion and a stepping stone for Gevo’s franchise development strategy for SAF and other fuels and chemicals.
In this way, what is being built in Richardton is not just a jet fuel plant — it is the template for how the world scales up SAF production.
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