Aemetis Inc. announced Feb. 4 that it has engaged Koch Project Solutions LLC to provide front-end engineering, design and project execution management services for expansion projects being built by Aemetis.

“The world is adopting new processes to produce low carbon renewable fuels and reduce transportation sector emissions.  We look forward to drawing on the extensive resources and experience of Koch Project Solutions, a subsidiary of Koch Engineered Solutions, to maximize the efficiency and value of these projects,” said Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis.

“Aemetis is bringing an innovative approach to renewable fuels by integrating both the agricultural and supply chain aspects of the industry,” said Paul Switzer, president of Koch Project Solutions. “As part of Koch Engineered Solutions, KPS is well positioned to bring expertise in a variety of engineering areas to deliver superior performance to these projects. This partnership supports our vision to continually find ways to create greater value while consuming fewer resources.”

The Aemetis “Carbon Zero 1” renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel plant has a planned capacity of about 23 million gallons per year. The facility will be located at the 142-acre Riverbank Industrial Complex, a former US Army ammunitions plant in Riverbank, California.

The Carbon Zero process converts renewable waste biomass into hydrogen. Using solar and hydro-electric power, the hydrogen is combined with low carbon feedstocks to produce zero carbon, drop-in jet and diesel fuel, usable in today’s airplane, truck, and ship fleets without engine modifications or changes in fueling infrastructure.

According to the EPA, about 28 percent of U.S. carbon emissions are emitted by the transportation sector, posing a significant challenge to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). New business mandates that include corporate climate commitments and environmental/social/governance (ESG) investing are significantly increasing the demand for low-carbon transportation alternatives.

“We expect the Aemetis Carbon Zero 1 biorefinery at the Riverbank site will be one of the first large-scale utilizations of renewable hydrogen from waste biomass to produce drop-in renewable jet and diesel fuel,” said Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis.  “The Carbon Zero process produces very low carbon fuels to decarbonize transportation vehicles that carry heavier loads and travel long distances, including cargo and passenger airlines as well as commercial trucks and ships.”

“In order to mitigate or reverse climate change, new clean energy technology solutions are required to meet the transportation sector’s growing demand for low carbon fuels,” McAfee stated.  “Aemetis Carbon Zero’s readiness and scalability separate it from other renewable fuel production technologies.”

Aemetis expects that the renewable fuels, when used in aviation, trucking, hybrid electric vehicles or other vehicle engines, will have a “below zero carbon” greenhouse gas footprint across the entire lifecycle of the fuel, based on the Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model, the pre-eminent science-based lifecycle analysis measurement tool.

The Aemetis Carbon Zero 1 project, the Aemetis Biogas renewable natural gas project, and energy efficiency upgrades to the Aemetis Keyes plant include $38 million of grant funding and other support from the USDA, the US Forest Service, the California Energy Commission, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and PG&E’s energy efficiency program.