Gevo has been awarded a contract by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to supply jet fuel to the U.S. Air Force (USAF). DLA sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America's military needs to operate.

The contract, worth a possible total of $600,000, provides that Gevo will supply the USAF with up to 11,000 gallons of 'alcohol-to-jet' (ATJ) based jet fuel, which will be used to support engine testing and a feasibility flight demonstration using an A-10 aircraft.

"The USAF is committed to positioning itself to integrate cost competitive alternative aviation fuels for up to half of its domestic needs by 2016," commented Christopher Ryan, Ph.D., president and COO of Gevo.

"Once the USAF certifies our ATJ fuel, we believe we will have an excellent opportunity to become a supplier of homegrown and renewable jet fuel to our armed services."

This is the first ATJ fuel contract awarded by the DLA. The contract stipulates that Gevo will supply the USAF with 7,000 gallons of ATJ fuel. The fuel will be shipped to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where the Air Force will finish lab testing and begin engine testing. DLA has the option to order up to an additional 4,000 gallons at the end of the contract.

The ATJ fuel is scheduled to be produced from isobutanol at Gevo's hydrocarbon processing demonstration plant in Silsbee, Texas, in partnership with South Hampton Resources. The company plans to begin shipping product to the USAF in the first quarter of 2012.