Imagine a machine that sucks CO2 from the air and uses green electricity to turn it into a liquid fuel. Instead of complex chemistry, it uses a special tiny organism that eats this liquid and turns it into fats, similar to how some animals store energy. These fats are then refined into high-quality jet fuel for airplanes.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production is limited by the availability and cost of feedstocks for the HEFA process. Current methods for converting CO2 to fuel are often energy-inefficient or not scalable.
A patented CO2 electrolyzer and a non-GMO microorganism bioprocess that converts CO2 and renewable power into fatty acid feedstocks for jet fuel.
If you are a biofuel refinery dealing with the high cost and scarcity of traditional HEFA feedstocks — this project developed a bioprocess that turns CO2 and renewable power into high-quality fatty acids. This provides a reliable, synthetic feedstock for the only commercially available SAF pathway.
If you are an industrial plant dealing with CO2 emissions and high energy costs — this project developed a patented CO2 electrolyzer that converts emissions into potassium formate. This transforms a waste product into a valuable chemical feedstock for fuel production.
If you are a feed manufacturer dealing with the need for sustainable protein sources — this project developed a process where the remaining biomass from fuel production becomes a crude microbiological protein. This allows for the creation of a secondary revenue stream as aquafeed.
The technology has been validated at lab and pilot scale, reaching TRL 7-8. Engineering work is currently underway with an EPC contractor to design the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial plant.
Yes, the project specifically mentions a patented CO2 electrolyzer used to convert renewable electricity into organic acids.
Based on available project data, the system improves efficiency by using only the energy required to turn CO2 into hydrocarbons and fatty acids, which improves the commercial potential and economics of the fuel.
The CO2 electrolyzer was tested at three European pilot sites under intermittent conditions, proving it can handle the fluctuating nature of renewable energy.
The project period ends July 2, 2025, with the technology currently at TRL 7-8 and moving toward the design of a commercial plant.
The consortium is highly streamlined, consisting of 2 partners, both of which are SMEs based in the Netherlands. With a 100% industry ratio, the project is focused entirely on commercial application rather than academic research, which explains the rapid progression to TRL 8.
Contact GAFT BV in the Netherlands
Contact us to connect with GAFT BV for FOAK plant partnerships.
