8 trends driving aviation biofuels today

Feedstock, BRICSA development are the pace-setters this year.

Case in point, SkyNRG advances with Boeing, South African Airways on tobacco-based biofuels.

In South Africa, we hear that SkyNRG is undertaking its first major feedstock project in South Africa, featuring a nicotine-free energy tobacco crop that’s developed by Sunchem under the name of Solaris.

Which is an excellent reminder of how much activity is going on in aviation biofuels to solve the cost and supply chain challenges that stand between aviation and sustainable, affordable fuels. Let’s look at the 8 key drivers.

1. Feedstock development

Tobacco

SkyNRG and Sunchem SA have teamed up to roll out Solaris in Southern Africa at large scale to help power local sustainable jet fuel production. Both South African Airways and Boeing will provide active support in securing further project financing and off take.

SkyNRG, Boeing and SAA anticipate growing Solaris on large-scale as well as for small-holder farms in the region. Boeing, SAA and the RSB are already working together with Southern African stakeholders to position farmers with small plots of land to tap markets for feedstocks that provide value to communities without harming food supplies, fresh water or land use. The partners are aiming for Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials certification.

Solaris has the potential to reduce 80% of CO2 emissions compared to fossil kerosene. Next to the production of vegetable oil, the plant can be used to generate valuable animal proteins and biomass for rural electrification purposes.

Agave

In June, Byogy Renewables revealed a strategic partnership with AusAgave Australia, aimed at developing multiple feedstocks to develop low cost sugars for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Structured initially as a strategic partnership, Don Chambers, CEO of AusAgave, will join the Byogy team to drive overall global feedstock operations — and, if all goes well, we may find that a merger of the companies may emerge down the line.

2. Major projects starting to flow

Last month, UOP announced that its green fuels process technology has been selected by Petrixo Oil & Gas to produce renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel at a new refinery to be built in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Petrixo will use UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process technology to process approximately 500,000 metric tons per year of renewable feedstocks into renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel. Petrixo announced earlier this year that it will invest $800 million to build the new refinery, which will have a design capacity of 1 million tons per year of biofuel products, and will be the first commercial-scale renewable jet fuel production facility outside of North America.

In April, British Airways and Solena Fuels said they they chose Thurrock, Essex for its MSW-to-aviation biofuels project that will produce 120,000 metric tons of fuel annually from 2017. BA has commited to buy 50,000 tons of the fuel that will be made from 575,000 tons of post-recycled waste.

3. BRICSA expansion

Brazil

Last November, Boeing and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes said they will work together to speed the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil. Their collaboration will support GOL’s plans to use this lower-carbon jet fuel on more flights during upcoming major sporting events and also will benefit long-term development of a new sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil. A few weeks before that, Avianca Brasil selected the Byogy Renewables Alcohol to Jet process to source their environment friendly alternate low carbon aviation fuels. Avianca has selected its Airbus A319, powered by CFMI (a partnership between General Electric and SNECMA of France) CFM56 engines, as the fleet member to be used with Byogy.

Russia

Last September, Airbus and RT-Biotechprom have signed an agreement to make aviation biofuel from Russian sources, planning to have results by the end of 2014. ‘This partnership will be a significant step in implementing our strategy of developing biotechnology in Russia, including deep processing of renewable biomass,’ RT-Biotechprom CEO Sergei Kraevoi was quoted as saying. ‘Airbus’s expertise in such projects will help us ensure that biofuels made of Russian raw materials meet all international standards.’ Airbus is also currently working with China, Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Australia.

India

Last November, Solena Fuels revealed discussions with city authorities in Chennai to use the city’s 5,000 tons of MSW per day to produce 120 million liters of aviation biofuel and 45 million liters of diesel per year. The facility would cost $450 million to build with an eight year ROI. Solena’s technology is syngas-based using plasma reactors to treat the feedstock.

China

In February, the Civil Aviation Administration of China granted Sinopec Chinese Technical Standard Order Authorization (CTSOA) for aviation biofuels, certifying that the fuel has met all required industry standards. Sinopec wants to produce commercial scale biofuels for airplanes and has sought permission to do so from the country’s national aviation regulator. The company expects it could produce a third of the national aviation fuel demand, 12 million metric tons, from biofuels by 2020.

4. New pathways

Alcohol-to-jet continues to be in the news, and Gevo, Virent, and Byogy have been giving more specific guidance on steps and timelines. On the sugar-to-farnesane route, we not only have Total-Amyris in the mix, Interxon is bringing an early-stage technology forward as well.

5. Processing technology costs dropping

In April at ABLC, this slide caught our attention with its super-low costs for fuels — just $1.62 per gallon including capital costs. No wonder the Navy chose Mercurius as one of its potential suppliers — and a contestant for direct investment that is intended to produce cost-competitive fuels through economies of scale.

6. The pursuit of 100% drop-ins

In March, Blue Sun Energy, ARA, and Chevron Lummus Global achieved a key development milestone with their 100 barrel/day (4,200 gallon/per day) demonstration-scale Biofuels ISOCONVERSION facility in St. Joseph, Mo. Less than a year after beginning engineering to scale the technology, the team has completed plant commissioning and has begun 24/7 system operation.

“We are a step closer to our goal of commercial scale production of 100% drop-in diesel and jet fuel from industrial and waste oils at prices competitive with their petroleum counterparts,” said Chuck Red, Vice President of Fuels Development at ARA.

7. Higher-energy jet fuels

Much has been written about terpenes in the area of flavors and fragrances. But they have astonishing properties for super high-density jet fuels in the 130,000-140,000 BTU range. And there are even more interesting molecules out there. Here are nine.

130,000-141,000 BTUs

#1-#3: valencene, premnaspirodiene, and b-caryophyllene. Now, we get into an interesting range of molecules. Think, for example, valencene, premnaspirodiene, and b-caryophyllene, which Allylix and the Naval Air Warfare Center have been working on.
#4: Exo-THDCP. Now, we’re in the range of the fuel spec known as JP-10. It’s also known, somewhat less euphonically, as exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene, or exo-THDCP. Generally, this is rocket fuel, used in very small quantities because, made from petroleum it costs $25 per gallon.
#5: Neoclavane. One candidate molecule is neoclovane. Harvey and colleagues noted “a fuel composed of only neoclovane would beexpected to have a density of B0.92 g mL1, with a calculated volumetric NHOC of nearly 141 000 Btu gal.” That’s definitely in the JP-10 range, and this research is based on the afore-mentioned real-world fuels development at Allylix.

160,000+ BTUs

Here are candidates for the RJ-5 military fuel spec, which calls for a net heat of combustion of 161,000 BTUs.

#6: perhydroinorbornadiene. Generally, RJ-5 is missile fuel, and is composed of perhydroinorbornadiene, a norbornadiene dimer. Norbornadiene is difficult and expensive to make — but what a fantastic target for synthetic biology and advanced catalysis. It’s a ready (if small) market at $25 per gallon.

#7: Octanonitrocubane. Here, we move beyond the “work in some lab somewhere” level and into the world of “it’s possible, but no one’s yet working on it” . And right back to ONC, or octanonitrocubane. It’s been described as “the most powerful nonnuclear explosive known.”

#8-#9: DNH and HNHAH. Well, consider DNH and HNHAH, known amongst their friends as dodecanitrohexaprismane (DNH) and hexanitrohexaazaprismane (HNHAH). They have higher energy than ONC. Their part of a class of molecules known as “cage explosives” and you can read about them in Strategic Technologies for the Army of the 21st Century.

8. The electric sky

In Chicago, Boeing has released its annual Environment Report, setting new 2017 targets for greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, solid waste to landfill and hazardous waste generation. According to the report, the company will continue develop and bring  sustainable aviation biofuel to market commercialization. The report also detailed the company’s plan to launch two new fuel-efficient airplanes – the 777X and 787-10 – and building the world’s first all-electric propulsion satellite.