Technology firm Johnson Matthey has launched a new technology that converts green hydrogen into a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The firm’s hycogen technology is a catalysed process to convert green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, which is combined with additional hydrogen to form synthesis gas (syngas).

This synthesis gas can be turned into synthetic hydrocarbons through a Fischer Tropsch process the firm calls ‘FT Cans’. The process was developed in collaboration with BP.

The scalability of the integrated hycogen-FT Cans solution means it is suitable for small-scale single electrolyser projects as well as commercial-scale projects with multiple large electrolyser modules, according to Johnson Matthey.

“There are significant hurdles in moving from hydrocarbon-based aviation fuel to alternatives such as battery-electric or hydrogen” Toogood, Johnson Matthey

The technology is particularly suited to the hard-to-decarbonise aviation sector, says Jane Toogood, sector chief executive at Johnson Matthey.

“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,” she says.

“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.”

The advantage of such fuels is that they would not require the retrofitting or modification of aircraft.

Rising demand

Both the EU and US are setting bold targets for scaling up and blending SAF, which is expected to increase demand. A report from price reporting firm Fastmarkets forecasts global demand for SAF will rise from 80,000t/yr currently to 3mn t/yr by 2025.

US airline United Airlines recently agreed to buy 6.7mn t of SAF from biofuel supplier Alder Fuels.

Meanwhile Australian airline Qantas has announced it will purchase blended SAF for its flights from London—the first time the airline will regularly buy the fuel. Qantas is in discussions about accessing SAF at other hubs, including Los Angeles, and recently signed a memorandum of understanding to use the fuel for flights from San Francisco from 2024.

These volume agreements are crucial to bringing down the cost of SAF—which can be several times more expensive than traditional jet kerosene—according to Qantas’ chief sustainability officer, Andrew Parker.

Other aviation firms, including Airbus, are investing in hydrogen supply chains and hydrogen fuel cells as a preferred solution for decarbonising aviation.

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Author: Tom Young