For our holiday round-up, we’re presenting insights from conversations with 5 leading SAF companies. Happy holidays! 🎄
Throughout 2024, we’ve had the privilege of speaking with leaders and innovators who are working to decarbonise aviation through different sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) production pathways.
From converting captured CO2 into jet fuel to transforming agricultural waste into aviation-grade fuel, these technological innovations represent the cutting edge of sustainable aviation.
This special episode draws together insights from conversations with 5 leading SAF companies:
INERATEC
LanzaJet
Twelve
Arcadia eFuels and
Nova Pangaea Technologies
These companies are not only developing groundbreaking technologies but also tackling the crucial challenges of scaling production and reducing costs. Their combined efforts span multiple technological approaches: e-fuels, alcohol-to-jet conversion, carbon transformation, and waste-to-fuel processes, each contributing to the broader goal of aviation decarbonisation.
1. INERATEC’s modular e-fuel production
INERATEC’s approach to e-fuels demonstrates the transformative potential of what CEO Tim Boeltken calls “liquefied electricity.” The German company’s modular technology platform converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into carbon-neutral liquid fuels.
"What we do is we produce these carbon-neutral liquid fuels out of green hydrogen and carbon dioxide,” Boeltken explains. “In principle, we just combine the two molecules, which are gaseous in form, to form a liquid hydrocarbon.”
The company’s ambitious vision includes transforming one gigawatt of renewable energy into approximately 125 million gallons of sustainable e-fuel by the early 2030s. Their modular approach allows for pre-manufactured units to be rapidly deployed at optimal production sites, particularly near wind parks or existing electrolysers.
2. LanzaJet’s proven alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology
LanzaJet’s ATJ technology represents another promising pathway for SAF production. CEO Jimmy Samartzis emphasises their role as a technology pioneer: “At the core, we are a technology and engineering company.”
Their approach stands out for its ability to convert ethanol into SAF with remarkable efficiency, producing up to 90% SAF and 10% renewable diesel. The company achieved a significant milestone with the development of LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels in Georgia, the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF production facility.
The company’s technology offers several advantages over other SAF pathways, including capital efficiency and feedstock flexibility, says Samartzis.
“The ethanol to SAF process is quite a bit different from the other processes. It is, in some cases, much more capital light. You have an abundance of feedstock, and you don’t need to worry about where that feedstock will come from,” he adds.
3. Twelve’s carbon transformation technology
The versatility of Twelve’s technology is underscored by their ability to transform CO2 into a wide range of products, ranging from sunglasses and washing detergents to car parts.
Twelve’s innovative SAF, called E-Jet®, is made entirely from CO2 and water using their carbon transformation technology.
CEO Nicholas Flanders explains their process: “When we’re saying that we’re making products from air, there’s specific things in the air that we’re using to make these products. So CO2 is the key thing that we're using.”
Twelve’s E-Jet® fuel has a much lower carbon intensity score, up to 90% lower lifecycle emissions than conventional fuel, and is ASTM-compliant for use as a drop-in fuel. The company has also secured strategic partnerships, including an agreement with Alaska Airlines and Microsoft to advance the scalability of E-Jet®.
4. Arcadia eFuels’ strategy to scale commercial production
Arcadia focuses on efficiently producing these e-fuels at scale without pilot plants, as the technology is already established.
Their approach includes scaling up electrolysers and syngas reactions, leading to a fully electrified plant that doesn’t rely on fossil inputs. The company aims to produce 100 million litres of e-fuels annually, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by about 250,000 tonnes.
CEO Amy Hebert explains their focus on efficient scaling: “The existing refineries today are very large scale. They can't process a very small amount of either Fischer-Tropsch crude or even green hydrogen. We need to start with smaller-scale projects like ours.”
5. Nova Pangaea Technologies’ patented REFNOVA® technology
Nova Pangaea Technologies (NPT) addresses the critical SAF feedstock challenge through its innovative REFNOVA® technology.
CEO Sarah Ellerby explains their unique approach: “We process agricultural wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, even as far as whiskey draff. So non-food derived feedstocks, woody residues, hard and soft woody residues, as well as wood waste.”
The REFNOVA® technology is designed to convert various agricultural and woody wastes into precursors for SAF. The company’s process yields two primary products: sustainable sugars for SAF production and biochar for carbon sequestration.
NPT has also developed a network of strategic partnerships: its Project Speedbird partnership with LanzaJet and British Airways has secured £9 million in UK government funding, demonstrating the industry’s confidence in their technology.
Looking ahead
These diverse approaches to SAF production highlight the industry’s dynamism and potential for growth.
While each technology has its own challenges with scaling and costs, there are a few common themes emerge:
The importance of strong partnerships,
The need for supportive government policies, and
How long-term offtake agreements are crucial for commercial-scale production.
The diversity of approaches represented by these 5 companies suggests that the future of sustainable aviation will not rely on a single solution but rather on a portfolio of complementary technologies.
As these companies move from demonstration to commercial scale, their success will play a crucial role in determining how quickly and effectively the aviation industry can achieve its decarbonisation goals.
‘Sustainability in the Air’ is the world’s leading podcast dedicated to sustainable aviation. Through in-depth conversations with top aviation leaders, we break through the clutter and provide a clear roadmap for a net-zero future.
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