Decarbonisation Technology February 2026 Issue

One hundred years of Fischer-Tropsch: Part 2

A novel FT technology needed rigorous testing, scaling, and validation for commercial deployment to demonstrate its readiness under real-world conditions

Dan Carter, Richard Pearson, and Andrew Coe Johnson Matthey James Paterson bp

I n Part 1 of this article, published in the November 2025 issue of Decarbonisation Technology , we explored the historical development and technical foundations of the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, culminating in the creation of the FT CANS technology by Johnson Matthey and bp. We examined how innovations in catalyst design and reactor architecture have enabled scalable, efficient production of synthetic fuels from diverse carbon sources. In this second part, we turn our attention to the practical validation of FT CANS, detailing the rigorous testing, pilot demonstrations, and commercial deployment that prove its readiness for industrial-scale sustainable fuel production. Scaling up the technology One of the key challenges in commercialising the FT CANS technology was demonstrating that it could perform reliably at industrial scale. To address this, JM invested heavily in engineering development and testing. This included building custom rigs to validate heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and reaction kinetics using high-throughput microreactors. Advanced modelling tools were also developed to accurately predict full-scale reactor performance. Initial proof-of-concept trials used CANS carriers manufactured by an experienced prototyping partner. Catalyst design and activation FT catalyst performance is sensitive to cobalt crystallite size, support structure, and activation treatment. Optimal crystallite size lies between 8-10 nm ( Bezemer, et al., 2006 ), ( den Breejen, et al., 2009 ). Larger particles reduce surface

area and activity, while smaller ones increase methane formation due to premature chain termination. The catalyst is typically prepared by impregnating a support with cobalt salt, followed by calcination to form cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄), and then reduced in hydrogen to form the active metallic phase, as shown in Equation 1 below:

Co₃O₄ + 4H₂  3Co + 4H₂O

(Eq. 1)

This reduction step generates significant water, which can damage the catalyst through sintering or reoxidation if not effectively managed. Water accumulation at the bottom of the catalyst bed and high operating pressures further increase the risk, making reactor design and process control critical. Adapting Gen2 Catalyst for CANS carriers bp originally developed the Gen2 catalyst for conventional fixed-bed reactors, and together with JM adapted this formulation for use in the CANS carrier system, producing sub- millimetre catalyst particles at scale. Thousands of hours of laboratory and pilot-scale testing were conducted to optimise activity, selectivity, and stability. These efforts were supported by a modern FT unit equipped with the latest analytical tools, including in-situ X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, and online product analysis up to C 18 . Detailed product characterisation revealed trace levels of long-chain 1-alcohols and carboxylic acids, typically one-tenth and one- thousandth the concentration of equivalent hydrocarbons, respectively. Nuclear magnetic