Biomass to Energy:

Inventing the New Oil

Range Fuels is a privately held company founded by Khosla Ventures, arguably the top venture capital firm in the World focusing on

alternative, green energy systems.

What Range Fuels discovered was this: energy alternatives to fossil fuels are right under our feet. By looking deeper into nature's abundance,

they discovered that plants, grasses, corn stalks, wood chips, and more can be turned into clean fuel. Even more encouraging, waste products

– material left to decay and be buried in our land today – can be recycled into fuel tomorrow.

Their new fuel is innovative. Eco-friendly. Sustainable.

Range Fuels convert biomass into fuel-grade ethanol using emerging clean energy technologies. Biomass includes all plant and plant-derived

material, such as trees, grass, corn, flowers, etc. – making it a renewable energy resource that produces no net greenhouse gases.

Their entire approach is based upon the invention of eco-friendly technology. The best evidence of this is that they produce more ethanol

per energy input than competing technologies. This is very environmentally friendly, especially since everything going in is plant

and waste material that serves no useful purpose. They call this conversion "waste to value“.

Technology

Range Fuels has invented a two-step thermo-chemical process to produce cellulosic ethanol. The process is self-sustaining,

produces virtually no waste products, emits very low levels of greenhouse gases, and produces high amounts of clean

ethanol.

Here’s how it works……..…..………..

Step 1: Solids to GasBiomass (all plant and plant-derived material) that cannot be used for food, such as agricultural waste, is fed into a converter. Using heat, pressure, and steam, the feedstock is converted into synthesis gas, which is cleaned before entering the second step.

Step 2: Gas to Liquids The cleaned synthesis gas is passed over their proprietary catalyst and transformed into mixed alcohols. These alcohols are then separated and processed to maximize the amount of ethanol of a quality suitable for use in fueling vehicles.

Simply Stated

A Simple ProcessBecause Range Fuels’ process utilizes a thermo-chemical process, it relies on the chemical reactions and conversions between forms that

naturally occur when certain materials are mixed under specific combinations of temperature and pressure. Other conversion

processes use enzymes, yeasts, and other biological means to convert between forms.

Feedstock FlexibilityThe Range Fuels process accommodates a wide range of organic

feedstocks of various types, sizes, and moisture contents. This flexibility eliminates commercial problems related to fluctuations in feed

material quality and ensures success in the real world, far from laboratory-controlled conditions.

The Difference

Range Fuels technology can produce more ethanol for a given amount of energy expended than is possible with any other process. This key difference is a result of their ability to convert all – not just some – of the

biomass used.