Johnson Matthey launches scalable technology to produce SAF
Johnson Matthey has launched a scalable technology designed to play a pivotal role in enabling the conversion of captured carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
By combining HyCOgenTM with the FT CANS Fischer Tropsch technology (developed in collaboration with bp), Johnson Matthey is able to offer an integrated, scalable solution for use in the efficient and cost-effective production of renewable power-based SAF.
HyCOgen, Johnson Matthey’s Reverse Water Gas Shift technology, is a catalysed process to convert green hydrogen and CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), which is combined with additional hydrogen to form synthesis gas (syngas), a crucial building block in the manufacture of fuels and chemicals. The integration with the FT CANS technology provides an end-to-end, optimised and highly scalable process that turns over 95% of the CO2 into high quality synthetic crude oil. This synthetic crude oil can be further upgraded into sustainable drop-in fuel products including aviation fuels, renewable diesel and naphtha.
According to Johnson Matthey, the integrated HyCOgen/FT CANS solution can be scaled, from small-scale, fed by hydrogen from a single electrolyser, to world-scale, with multiple large electrolyser modules.
The global aviation industry is responsible for 12% of transport-related CO2 emissions, therefore substantial production of low-carbon intensity SAF is essential to mitigate emissions. Both the EU and the U.S.A. are setting bold targets for its scale up and blending, and this is expected to increase SAF demand significantly.
“Given the challenges associated with new propulsion technologies and airport infrastructure, plus the long asset life of aircraft, there are significant hurdles in moving from hydrocarbon-based aviation fuel to alternatives such as battery electric or hydrogen,” said Jane Toogood, sector chief executive, Johnson Matthey. “This is where Johnson Matthey’s longstanding expertise and market-leading position in syngas generation technology can play a crucial role, by providing solutions that enable the production of sustainable drop-in fuels that are deployable today.”
