Turning sewage into jet fuel: Firefly Green Fuels' bold vision for a cleaner sky
Firefly Green Fuels CEO James Hygate has a groundbreaking vision:
“On an aircraft flying 250 people to Madrid, the passengers can probably provide 10% of the fuel there and back.”
How can this be achieved? Through innovative technology, Hygate’s company Firefly Green Fuels transforms human waste — such as that generated by the passengers on an aircraft — into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
During an on-stage discussion at the recently concluded London's SAF Investor Conference, Hygate elucidated how using sewage as a SAF feedstock capitalises on a resource that is "ubiquitous, abundant, and incredibly cost-effective."
A Novel Pathway with Significant Benefits
Starting with a demonstration facility in the UK and subsequently expanding globally, Firefly plans to employ a relatively new method for producing SAF — Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL).
Through HTL, sewage sludge undergoes treatment at high temperatures and pressures in the presence of water within a reactor. This procedure disintegrates the complex organic molecules in the sludge, converting them into a liquid replete with hydrocarbons. This process yields biochar, a substance similar to charcoal that can be utilised as fertiliser, and bio-crude, which lays the groundwork for producing SAF.
Firefly asserts that transforming sewage to SAF through HTL presents several benefits:
It offers a more efficient approach to creating SAF compared to traditional methods, which could reduce the cost of SAF and enhance its market competitiveness with Jet A Fuel.
Moreover, although primarily focused on sewage, Firefly's facilities could also process various wet biogenic materials, such as food waste or algae.
To top it all, this method significantly reduces CO2 emissions throughout its lifecycle, with specialists from Cranfield University estimating that its carbon footprint is over 90% lower than conventional fossil jet fuel.
The technology can transform a public health and waste disposal issue into a valuable resource since human waste and sewage are ever-increasing each year.
Firefly’s technology can be licensed to production companies globally, suggesting these entities position their facilities near sewage treatment plants.
Investment and Future Outlook
Firefly's current lead customer and investor is European low-cost carrier Wizz Air. At the SAF Investor Conference, Wizz Air and Firefly were honoured with the ‘Strategic Investment of the Year – Europe’ award.
In 2023, Wizz Air announced a £5 million equity investment in Firefly Green Fuels, which included an agreement to procure up to 525,000 tonnes of SAF over 15 years. This agreement will enable Wizz Air to integrate SAF into its UK operations starting in 2029.
Following the Wizz Air agreement, Firefly is actively seeking an additional £30 million in investment through Series B funding. This investment will support the development of Firefly's UK demonstration plant ahead of the broader commercial rollout of the company’s innovative SAF product later in the decade.