Imagine using a tiny aquatic plant to soak up pollution and turn it into jet fuel. This system feeds these algae with waste from biogas plants and uses smart sensors to keep the cultures healthy. Finally, it squeezes out the oil and cleans it up to make a fuel that planes can actually use.
Aviation needs millions of tonnes of sustainable fuel by 2030, but current waste-oil sources are limited and synthetic fuels are too expensive to produce.
A TRL-5 pilot facility that captures CO2 from biogas plants and processes microalgae into jet fuel and animal feed.
If you are an airline operator dealing with strict ReFuelEU mandates to reach 64% SAF blending by 2050 — this project developed a microalgae pathway that targets a 60% GHG reduction compared to fossil jet fuel.
If you are an AD plant operator dealing with waste liquid digestate and CO2 emissions — this project developed a way to use those waste streams as free nutrients to produce high-value lipids for fuel.
If you are a bio-refinery developer dealing with high production costs — this project developed a cascading biorefinery that aims to reduce HEFA-SPK costs from 12.3 to 6.3 USD/kg.
The project targets a 49% reduction in HEFA-SPK cost, bringing it down from 12.3 to 6.3 USD/kg.
The project is building a TRL-5 pilot facility in Ireland capable of producing at least 10 kg of algae lipids per year.
Based on available project data, the project will produce a dedicated commercialisation plan to guide technology transfer from lab to industry.
It aligns with ReFuelEU Aviation regulations which require SAF blending to increase from 2% in 2025 to 64% by 2050.
The project period runs from May 2024 to April 2028, with the pilot facility serving as the culmination of the work.
The consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer, featuring a 44% industry ratio with 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs. With 9 partners across 5 countries (IE, DE, ES, PT, UK), the project combines academic research from 3 universities with practical industrial application, specifically targeting a pilot site at an AD operator in Ireland.
Contact University College Dublin (UCD) regarding the TRL-5 pilot facility in Ireland.
Contact us to identify potential partners for the 2030 SAF scale-up.
