UK SAF Industry supported by clean technologies

With UK parliament approving the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate of 2% to come into effect from next month, jet fuel suppliers will have to deliver this percentage share which will rise by 10% (2030), 15% (2035) and 22% (2040). Aviation is considered “hard-to-abate” and therefore SAF is viewed by UK government and industry alike as the most feasible route to reduce net carbon emissions and the reliance on fossil-based fuels. Host nations would benefit greatly from a domestic SAF supply ensuring fuel independence and energy security, as well as generating economic growth and development through this nascent industry. The introduction of government incentives, including the Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM) by the end of 2026, alongside the mandates support SAF production and are much welcomed and needed.

The Department for Transport (DfT) incentivised SAF production through its historic grant competitions including the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). Nova Pangaea Technologies, secured government funding through AFF, and is in partnership with British Airways and LanzaJet to deliver Project Speedbird, a commercial plant that will produce 102 million litres of SAF per year. This reduces CO2 emissions by 230,000 tonnes per annum on a net lifecycle basis. Project Speedbird will host NPT’ first-of-a-kind (FOAK) facility of second generation (2G) ethanol and biochar production.

Clean technology companies enabling SAF production specialise in their own methodology whether through biomass, waste, power-to-liquids (e-Fuels) or hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA). At NPT our REFNOVA® technology, a patented thermal process, utilises 2G waste biomass feedstock from sustainable sources and can unlock lignocellulosic content without the use of enzymes. This is an important step away from first generation (1G) biomass feedstock use of food derived material.

REFNOVA® produces high value products including advanced second generation (2G) ethanol, which can be further processed to make SAF. This unique and highly differentiated process converts the biomass into two sustainable product streams, sugars and the highly valuable co-product, biochar. Biochar can deliver an immediate decarbonisation impact through sequestration, which enables a negative CO2 emissions profile.

The REFNOVA® process consists of three phases:

1. Pre-treatment of feedstock .
2. SARP® – our unique proprietary technology of steam assisted rapid pyrolysis.
3. Sugar Production – conversion of SARP® vapour stream to fermentable sugars.
The sugars are then converted to bioethanol through fermentation. This conversion follows industry standard practices. The bioethanol can be used in the alcohol-to-jet pathway to produce SAF.