GP+ is one of GranBio’s proprietary technologies covered by more than 67 global patents and fully demonstrated in Thomaston R&D Center (Atlanta-US) and in BioFlex I (Alagoas-Brazil). It is a set of technologies to convert biomass into fermentable sugars, primarily for conversion to cellulosic ethanol exemplified in the current generation of this technology by plants converting sugarcane straw to cellulosic ethanol.

A representative patent in this field is US Patent No 10,3344,303 which discloses a process for the production of ethanol, acetic acid and derivatives from hemicelluloses extracted from steam exploded biomass. GP+ aims to be the technology with lowest capex and opex in the market.

GP+ is a robust and reliable thermo-mechanical industrial process that does not use acid treatment to break the cellulosic feedstock, as a consequence there are minimum furfural and other contaminants to the sugars and lignin recovery. It achieves a conversion yield between 4.8 and 5.6 conversion of bdt of biomass per ton of 2G Ethanol.

GP+ technology has already been licensed for two customers. In 2020 GranBio and NextChem, part of MaireTechnimot Group, signed a joint commercial agreement to license GP+ globally with an option of EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction).