POET, the world’s largest producer of biofuels, is doing more with corn than just making ethanol these days. POET has entered the asphalt market with its newest green alternative to fossil fuel products. POET’s “JIVE” is a proprietary corn-oil-based product now being used by construction companies across the U.S. to modify or rejuvenate asphalt in roads.

JIVE is being used today to make roads more resilient in both high- and low-temperature conditions. It helps roads resist cracking in cold weather and rutting during the warm season. It is also used to soften old asphalt so it can be recycled into new roads, according to POET.

“This is the latest example of POET developing new technology to move our world toward true sustainability,” POET chief executive officer Jeff Broin said. “We must learn to utilize materials harvested from the surface of the Earth rather than pulling more crude oil from below. Every mile paved using JIVE and recycled materials helps save the planet and helps save taxpayer dollars.”

With 164,000 miles of highway across the U.S. and annual state and local government expenditures of $175 billion on highway construction and maintenance, the high quality, affordable and environmental alternative that JIVE provides meets a significant need, POET said in a press release. At full JIVE production, POET could improve enough roadways to circle the globe each year.

“This is a lower-cost, better-performing product than the petroleum modifiers used in the past,” said Matt Reiners, vice president of business development for POET Nutrition. “Companies have used JIVE over the past year to pave high-traffic highways in places like New Jersey and roads exposed to fierce elements in Utah, parts of Canada and elsewhere.”

JIVE is produced as a co-product of the biofuel process and is a lower-cost option than the traditional petroleum-based modifiers and rejuvenators. At POET plants, the patented BPX process uses enzymes instead of heat during biofuel fermentation, leading to a better slate of co-products, including JIVE, the company said.