Decarbonisation Technology November 2025 Issue

collaborative. Its partners range from Deep Science Ventures spin-out Mission Zero Technologies, founded in 2020, to some of the most established and well-regarded vendors in fuel synthesis technology. From an investment perspective, this offers many key benefits. Start-up enthusiasm

Technology ASAP-DAC SAF Process Mission Zero Direct a ir c apture (10 ktpa)

Fischer-Tropsch

Carbon c apture and u tilisation (100 ktpa)

Solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC)

FT Wax + LHCs (long chain hydrocarbons)

Syngas

(CO + H)

Electricity (120 MW)

e - SAF (25 ktpa)

Water

Upgrading

Our Solid Oxide Process 90%+ ecient vs 60-70% vs PEM/AEM/Alkaline technologies thanks to heat integration

Figure 2 ASAP-DAC SAF process

e-fuel, these molecules use water and CO 2 as feedstocks to produce syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen). This syngas is then synthesised into FT wax and upgraded to synthetic kerosene, certified under ASTM D7566 and suitable for blending with Jet A-1 aviation fuel (see Figure 2 ). With the recent Window 3 award, the project has commenced FEED, remarkable progress for a company that celebrated its third birthday just last month. This award is four times greater than the company’s previous grant award under AFF Window 2, reflecting growing government confidence in the project’s technical maturity and strategic vision. Over the next six months, the consortium will continue its work with well-established technology vendors to finalise the integration of its high technology readiness level (TRL) technologies into the overall facility design. The grant-funded FEED work will result in a complete 3D CAD model of the facility, provide high definition relating to Capex and Opex costs, as well as the future project schedule. The AFF funding also covers commercial elements, such as enabling work to secure feedstock and customer offtake contracts, as well as planning permission for the land that has been acquired. Beyond signalling trust in CNF’s ability to deliver this complex, strategically significant infrastructure project, government investment in ASAP-DAC also has the power to unlock private capital. High-street travel firm Trailfinders made a £1 million investment in November 2024. Meet the players The ASAP-DAC Consortium taps into a long tradition wherein science is viewed as inherently

tempered by experience is in itself a powerful force, and this project is designed to capture a new and growing market while spreading and managing risk intelligently. ASAP-DAC’s licensors are proven, which prevents a reliance on untested or single-point solutions, the major risk in many start-up projects. Various parts of the project have been deployed elsewhere, de- risking construction and removing the chance of unforeseen hurdles. ASAP-DAC also distributes technology risk across multiple providers. Each partner brings a piece of the puzzle that has already been validated through numerous hours of iterative testing, allowing CNF to focus on knitting them together into a coherent, bankable project. For EPC contractors, that means clearer engineering pathways grounded in commercially validated designs. For investors, it reduces exposure to the ‘unknown unknowns’ that have famously derailed many FOAK plants. And for policymakers, it demonstrates that PtL e-SAF is not a science experiment, but a sub-industry ready to be scaled, which is likely reflected in ASAP-DAC’s recent grant success. CNF is also responsible for finding investors who can fit into the ecosystem of ASAP-DAC. ASAP-DAC technologies explained ○ Electricity + water + CO₂ : The plant uses renewable electricity to power SOEC. These convert water and CO2 into syngas: hydrogen and carbon monoxide. ○ CO₂ capture: Around 90% of the CO2 will come from biogenic sources such as paper pulp, and 10% directly from the atmosphere using DAC technology.