Decarbonisation Technology - February 2025 Issue

Syngas

Low-carbon fuels

Diverse feedstock

Various feedstocks are converted into syngas, a versatile intermediate

Syngas is then processed into dierent types of low-carbon fuels. Reducing dependence on a single resource increases sustainability and energy security

Municipal solid waste

Agricultural residues

Buses

Heavy ships

CO CO

Cars

Aviation

Forestry biomass

Renewable energy

1st gen biofuels 2nd gen biofuels efuels

Figure 1 Process of producing sustainable aviation fuel

Fischer-Tropsch technology: Unlocking feedstock potential The FT process is a transformative technology that enables SAF production from diverse feedstocks. The feedstocks below all qualify under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA): • Municipal solid waste (MSW): Gasification of MSW not only provides syngas for SAF but can also reduce landfill use, addressing waste management challenges. JM’s proprietary technology ensures syngas is cleaned and conditioned effectively. • Forestry residues: Gasification of forestry waste utilises renewable resources and supports responsible forest management practices aimed at reducing wildfire risks ( USDA, 2024 ). • Captured CO 2 : CO 2 emissions, combined with green hydrogen produced through renewable- powered electrolysis, can create syngas. JM’s HyCOgen (reverse water gas shift) technology enables this process, promoting carbon reuse and climate change mitigation. • Agricultural residues: Biomass such as corn stover, wheat straw, and rice husks can be converted into syngas, unlocking value from agricultural byproducts. The SAF production process involves several stages: syngas production, FT catalysis using iron or cobalt-based catalysts, chemical reactions under controlled conditions (200-350°C and 10-40 bar) to form hydrocarbons, and upgrading through hydrocracking and distillation to produce SAF. JM’s FT CANS technology, developed in

collaboration with bp, offers a step-change in the FT process. This superior catalyst and reactor design reduces catalyst requirements by 50%, lowering capital and operational costs. Its scalability allows plant sizes to be tailored to match available feedstocks, while advanced heat management improves reaction efficiency and product quality thanks to its innovative radial flow reactor design. The technology achieves CO conversion rates exceeding 90% (Johnson Matthey, 2021 ). FT CANS technology has already been licensed to several large-scale projects. The Louisiana Green Fuels project will convert 1 million tonnes of forestry waste into 32 million gallons of biofuel annually while incorporating carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to minimise carbon intensity. DG Fuels’ plant in Louisiana is the largest announced SAF facility using FT CANS technology, converting sugarcane biomass into synthetic crude for SAF production. In Spain, Repsol and Aramco’s eFuel plant integrates FT CANS with HyCOgen technology to produce synthetic fuels from CO 2 and green hydrogen. Typically, biomass gasification plants produce a 1:1 mixture of CO and H 2 with insufficient H2 to feed the FT process. Often, a water gas shift (WGS) reactor is used to increase the ratio of H 2, ensuring the correct ratio enters the FT reactor. However, this process also converts valuable CO into CO 2, which must be removed before FT synthesis, effectively acting as a carbon leak and reducing the overall carbon efficiency of the process. To avoid this leakage of valuable carbon from SAF feedstocks, additional H2 can be added