Technology Transfer for Producing Sustainable Aviation Fuels from Wet Waste

With the increasing demand for low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), new conversion technologies are needed that can transition from the laboratory to the marketplace while meeting cost and carbon intensity reduction targets. Wet waste is one such promising low-cost, widely available feedstock with the energy potential to displace over 20% of U.S. jet fuel consumption. Recent efforts at NREL have shown that wet-waste derived volatile fatty acids (VFAs) can be catalytically converted into SAF that is suitable for blending into conventional aviation fuels. This talk will examine ongoing work at NREL to partner with industry and advance VFA-SAF catalyst technology towards commercialization. Findings will be presented in regard to i) derisking and scaling VFA ketonization catalyst technology from the bench to gallon-per-day production, ii) navigating the ASTM jet fuel qualification process for new SAF routes, iii) integrating VFA-derived ketones with existing biorefinery infrastructure for hydrotreating fats, oils, and greases, and iv) quantifying VFA-SAF lifecycle carbon intensity reductions for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. While this talk will focus on wet waste VFA-SAF, the topic of technology transfer holds relevance for advancing other emerging SAF pathways needed for decarbonization.