Decarbonisation Technology November 2025 Issue

From CO 2 to jet fuel: success of the consortium model Pioneering e-fuel projects cannot move forward in isolation; they require strong partnerships with technology leaders, investors, and innovators

Isobel Thomas-Horton CNF Energy

T o be facing an extinction event largely caused by excessive amounts of CO₂ , when we have endless uses for that CO₂ , is next-level cognitive dissonance.” This perspective from Nicholas Chadwick, the CEO of the ASAP-DAC project’s direct air capture partner, Mission Zero Technologies, explains the mindset behind the Carbon Neutral Fuels (CNF) e-fuel production facility. Not only does it set out its value proposition – making essential (and valuable) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) molecules – it also highlights the stakes that are at play. When the challenge is nothing less than averting an extinction-level climate risk, there is every reason to think differently, not only about the CO 2 itself, but about the collaborative partnerships across the value chain that are essential to making the most of the molecule. This collaborative ethos is central to ASAP- DAC, a consortium led by British company CNF and supported by the UK government’s Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). By convening some of the most innovative organisations in the low- carbon technology space, CNF is leading the development of one of the UK’s few commercial- scale e-SAF production facilities located in Workington, West Cumbria. By 2031, the facility will produce 25,000 tonnes of SAF annually, which will reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 89% compared with fossil-derived jet fuel. As an emerging frontrunner in the UK SAF industry, having received the largest award in this year’s AFF for an e-fuel project – £6 million – this First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) project is unique in its approach to collaborations. Joining CNF in the ASAP-DAC Consortium are engineering partner,

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io consulting, and direct air capture (DAC) supplier, Mission Zero Technologies. Together, they are demonstrating that succeeding in becoming a pathfinder in this emerging market takes more than individual ambition to transform waste CO 2 from a climate liability into a resource; it requires a purpose-driven partnership. From concept to collaboration CNF has been working alongside io consulting (itself a joint venture between Baker Hughes and McDermott) and Mission Zero Technologies since November 2023, when the consortium was awarded £1.4 million from the AFF in Window 2 of the grant. Progressing through the feasibility and pre-front end engineering design (FEED) stages (see Figure 1 ), ASAP- DAC has selected solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor technologies to produce long-chain hydrocarbon SAF molecules. Classified as a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) “ Becoming a pathfinder in this emerging market takes more than individual ambition to transform waste CO2 from a climate liability into a resource; it requires a purpose- driven partnership ”

Timeline

FEED Construction

Feasibilty Complete Complete 2025 Pre-FEED

Scale-out

2027

2030+

Figure 1 Progress of ASAP-DAC project