Topsoe unveils ATJet alcohol-to-jet pathway for sustainable aviation fuel

Topsoe presents its ATJet™ alcohol-to-jet solution, which converts ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel through ethanol-to-ethylene dehydration, selective oligomerization, and its HydroFlex™ and H2Bridge™ technologies. The article says the design aims to deliver competitive levelized cost of SAF by maximizing SAF yield and minimizing capital expenditure. It also states that H2Bridge™ recycles coproducts to generate renewable hydrogen on-site, removing the need to import green hydrogen. Topsoe says ATJ projects are emerging in ethanol-producing or importing countries such as Brazil and India.

Key facts

Market context

Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is a drop-in jet fuel made from renewable feedstocks, and airlines and fuel suppliers buy it to meet blending mandates and decarbonization targets. Most SAF today is produced through hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, known as HEFA, which relies on waste oils and fats. Ethylene is a core petrochemical building block used mainly for polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and other polymers, so routes that link ethanol to ethylene draw interest from both fuel and polymer supply chains. Ethanol is produced at scale from sugar cane and corn, and it is traded widely as a fuel and chemical feedstock. Alcohol-to-jet routes convert ethanol into jet-range hydrocarbons, and their economics depend on ethanol prices, hydrogen availability and the capital cost of conversion units. Where hydrogen must be imported, costs can rise, so integrated designs that generate hydrogen on site are watched closely by producers in ethanol-rich regions.

Source: official release on topsoe.com. Summary and context written by Market Krystal.