James Hygate, founder and CEO of Green Fuels Ltd, ‘virtually’ presented the project to the European biotech stakeholder community. More than 300 EU-funded biotech projects were screened for their potential for commercialisation. Interviews of 79 projects were conducted and the projects analysed more deeply, taking into account factors such as target markets, TRL, industry involvement, IP situation and more. The assessment of the best-ranked projects was complemented with an evaluation by a Ketbio's Commercial Committee for the final selection of the Ketbio Top Ten. This commercial committee consisted of senior representatives from industry, investors and research institutions with expertise in technology transfer and commercialisation from across EU member states.
Ketbio's Virtual Booster Conference was centred around how Biotech Innovation is integral to a green and healthy recovery of Europe in this changing world we are currently facing. At the heart of this is how the commercialisation of Biotech research can help move the world forward.
flexJET puts its efforts in to the research and the commercialisation of a novel route to sustainable fuels for aviation. flexJET is already constructing Europe’s first pre-commercial demonstration plant for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) exclusively from waste vegetable oil and using organic solid waste biomass, for the production of ‘Green’ hydrogen. The novel process ensures a high-quality, advanced, fully biogenic aviation fuel that is produced consistently from variable waste oils and fats.
The innovative, highly scalable process combines the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel through Biofuel Refining (Green Fuels’ SABR technology, transesterification, then hydro-processing and fractionation) for the upgrading of biodiesel from organic waste fats, with the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR) technology providing green hydrogen for the process. The hydrogen is then separated through pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Using hydrogen from residual biomass conversion and renewable energy for the processes enables a significant reduction in the remaining CO2 footprint.
Building and extending from previous framework funding the highly experienced consortium comprising research and industry aims to set the benchmark for future sustainable aviation fuels development that can be produced at both large and decentralized scales economically, whilst simultaneously addressing social and environmental needs.
A subsequent scale-up first commercial plant is planned to be constructed immediately after the project completion to produce 25,000 tonnes per year of sustainable aviation fuel.
Winning this prestigious Ketbio Award is a great privilege and will help accelerate the market uptake of flexJET project results and facilitates progressing the technology further by developing a flagship plant with the overall aim of supporting the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.
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