Primus Green Energy Inc., a gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology and solutions company that transforms methane and other hydrocarbon gases into gasoline and methanol, said it has successfully produced 100-octane gasoline at its commercial demonstration plant in Hillsborough, N.J., U.S.A.

Primus said it has achieved this significant milestone as a result of a breakthrough improvement to its proprietary STG+™ technology, which allows its plant to produce high-octane gasoline in addition to RBOB gasoline and methanol.

With the production of 100-octane zero sulphur, zero benzene, zero lead gasoline, Primus could address fuels that meet European Union (EU) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) specifications. There is also potential for this high octane gasoline to address the needs of the 100LL aviation gasoline (avgas) market, totaling 150-200 million gallons per annum (gpa) in the United States.

“This breakthrough in our proprietary technology directly addresses the demand from our customers in Europe and the CIS – markets that require high-octane gasoline,” said Sam Golan, chief executive officer of Primus Green Energy.

Primus’ STG+™ technology can use a range of natural gas feedstocks, including wellhead and pipeline gas, dry or wet associated gas, “stranded” ethane, excess syngas from underutilized reformers or mixed natural gas liquids.

The systems’ stranded and associated gas applications offer an ideal solution to the lack of traditional natural gas pipeline infrastructure in remote locations, enabling the monetization of gas that would otherwise be stranded or flared. The low-cost, modular systems can be trucked in and assembled onsite for easy deployment.

The STG+™ process has been validated through more than 7,500 hours of operation at Primus’ commercial testing plant.