Decarbonisation Technology February 2026 Issue

al., 2013 ). These properties not only improve fuel economy but also extend turbine life and reduce maintenance by minimising deposits on engine components. The demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is expected to grow, with air transport projected to consume around 500 million tonnes of fuel annually by 2050 ( IATA, 2023 ), equivalent to 11 million barrels per day. Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA)-based SAF is currently the most commercially available pathway. However, it is fundamentally constrained by the availability of feedstocks

Figure 5 Clitheroe FT catalyst manufacturing plant

e 1: Clitheroe FT catalyst manufacturing plant.

the technology, understanding the scale-up challenges and troubleshooting, as well as enabling genuine step-change performance improvements. Manufacturing CANS catalyst technology for the aviation fuel market m Concept to Commercialisation: FT CANS Powers Repsol’s thetic Fuels Plant M/bp FT CANS technology offers strong economic advantages for both small- and -scale operations, unlocking new opportunities for synthetic fuel production. According to the International Energy Agency, transportation accounts for more than one- third of global energy-related CO₂ emissions ( IEA, 2025a ), with aviation contributing 2-3% of total anthropogenic emissions ( IEA, 2025b ). Replacing conventional jet fuel with synthetic fuels derived from eligible, sustainable ol, in partnership with Aramco, is deploying FT CANS technology at a new hetic fuels plant in Bilbao, Spain, marking a significant commercial milestone for latform (JM, 2022). acility will be one of the world’s first to produce synthetic aviation fuel using only n H 2 and captured CO₂ as feedstocks. Theprojectalsoincorporates JM’s Ogen™ technology, which converts CO₂ and green hydrogen into syngas, rating seamlessly with FT CANS to produce high-quality synthetic crude suitable pgrading to produce SAF. a planned capacity of over 2,100 tonnes per year, the Bilbao plant will onstrate the scalability of the FT CANS system. It represents the second mercial license for the technology and the first for HyCOgen , showcasing a fully rated solution for e-fuel production. ral other projects are underway across the U.S. and Europe, including the world’s st announced FT SAF plant being developed by DG Fuels in Louisiana, USA. These

such as used cooking oil and animal fats ( Calderon, et al., 2024 ). To meet the growing demand for SAF, alternative production routes such as FT synthesis, which is available at scale today, must be deployed. The FT pathway can use a broad range of globally available feedstocks, including municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and forestry byproducts. It is also well-placed to support both conventional SAF and future eSAF production, enabling more resilient and scalable supply chains. This opportunity makes the ability to reliably manufacture and supply large volumes of CANS catalyst carriers and FT catalyst essential for commercial deployment. Industrialising the CANS catalyst carrier To meet this challenge, JM engaged a specialist engineering firm with the required manufacturing experience to develop a cost-effective, scalable design for the CANS catalyst carrier. The design ensures ease of catalyst filling and meets stringent functional specifications established by JM through extensive prototype testing. A fully automated production line has now been commissioned to manufacture and fill the CANS carriers with catalyst. This facility

feedstocks offers a significant opportunity to reduce this footprint. FT fuels are particularly attractive due to their cleaner combustion properties; they are free from sulphur and polynuclear aromatics and have reduced particulate emissions from combustion ( Liu, et including municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and forestry byproducts ” “ The FT pathway can use a broad range of globally available feedstocks,