Most experts agree that, in order to gain adoption, biofuels cannot be more expensive than traditional petroleum-based fuel.  TerViva can produce oil for biodiesel at a cost of less than $1.00 per gallon -- which is lower than the cost of other biodiesel oils as well as petroleum oil. 

We are able to keep our costs low due to:

• Our proprietary IP on tree cultivation and processing
• Automated harvesting
• Use of land in low-rainfall areas with limited irrigation
• Minimal use of expensive resources such as fertilizers and pesticides

Other companies are working on alternatives to the use of food as fuel (e.g., corn and soybeans). Most notably, several start-ups are working on algae as a source of oil, while other organizations are pursuing synthetic pathways for biodiesel production. All of these companies are in their R&D or pilot phases, with years to go before scaled deployment. They currently produce small quantities of expensive oil.