Oxford Airport in London will host the first hydrogen-to-synthetic jet fuel prototype plant in the world when it opens next month. This innovative plant, created by Oxford-based carbon capture and utilization business OXCCU, will generate one kilogram of synthetic aviation fuel (SAF) per day, which is a big step toward the aviation industry’s decarbonization.
Aviation fuels that are synthetic, or Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels, are seen to be a major breakthrough in lowering aviation’s carbon footprint. These fuels, which are made from carbon that is extracted from different processes, are a seamless replacement for fossil fuels in current jet engines since they have the same hydrocarbon structure. The potential of these fuels has already been shown by trial flights utilizing 100% SAF; estimations indicate that they can reduce aviation emissions by as much as 80%.
There are several ways to produce SAF, and beginning materials like algae, vegetable oils, and woody biomass can all be used. OXCCU takes a different approach, though. The company synthesizes fuel using collected carbon as the principal feedstock in conjunction with renewable energy, as opposed to depending on food or biomass. The majority of SAF manufacturers utilize an energy-intensive procedure to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide; our novel approach simplifies the production process into a single stage. OX-EFUEL, a more economical and ecologically beneficial synthetic fuel, is the end product.
The OX1 demonstrator plant will serve as a critical testing ground, producing one kilogram of SAF daily. The data collected from this facility will inform the design and operation of a larger plant at Saltend Chemical Park in Hull, which aims to produce 160 kilograms of SAF per day. This scale-up is crucial for making PtL SAF a viable option for the aviation industry.
OXCCU’s CEO, Andrew Symes, emphasized the importance of this development, stating, “Our mission is to enable future generations to fly without a climate impact, and to do that we need cost-effective PtL SAF. This launch marks a key step in achieving that goal.” The company’s innovative approach not only promises to lower the cost of SAF but also offers a new avenue for utilizing captured CO2, providing a sustainable solution for the future of aviation.