New Whitepaper: Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) as the bridge to scalable Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Linking today’s infrastructure to tomorrow’s SAF volumes while meeting cost, policy, and sustainability tests.
Aviation faces a critical, dual challenge: supporting growth that is projected to more than double by 2050, while simultaneously achieving net-zero emissions within the same timeframe.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is currently the only commercially available solution capable of delivering the required decarbonisation for the existing fleet. However, there remains a significant gap between ambition and reality.
Global SAF production reached just 1.9 million tons in 2025, covering only 0.6% of total jet fuel demand. Although this almost doubled 2024’s output, it fell short of the projected 2.1 million tons, highlighting the scale of the challenge ahead.
HEFA has enabled early SAF deployment, but it is now approaching structural constraints. Waste-oil feedstocks are finite, prices are rising, and sustainability criteria are tightening. At the same time, new SAF mandates in Europe, East Asia, and elsewhere are increasing competition for the same limited resources, further constraining effective supply.
At the other end of the spectrum, Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels offer long-term scalability. But they remain capital-intensive and energy-constrained, with large-scale commercial deployment still years away.
Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) technology has emerged as the essential bridge between today’s limited HEFA production and the next decade’s volumetric needs. AtJ converts abundantly available renewable alcohols into jet fuel using established chemical processes.
This new white paper examines AtJ as it exists today and what it could realistically contribute over the coming decade. In particular, it looks at how AtJ brings together:
Technological maturity (TRL 6-9) for rapid near-term deployment, leveraging existing global ethanol infrastructure.
Vast feedstock depth for long-term scaling, accessing diverse, non-competitive sources like corn, sugarcane, agricultural residues, and waste gases.
Superior decarbonisation potential, enabling net-negative carbon intensity through integration with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and regenerative agricultural practices.
Distributed supply chain development, which positions AtJ as a key driver for enhancing regional energy security and fostering economic prosperity across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
With appreciation to Gevo Inc for their technical insights. The analysis and conclusions presented are solely those of SimpliFlying.