DG Fuels selects JM and bp tech for $4bn SAF plant in Louisiana

Johnson Matthey (JM) and bp’s co-developed Fischer Tropsch CANS™ technology will drive DG Fuels’ first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Louisiana, valued at $4bn.

DG Fuels hopes to produce 600,000 metric tonnes of SAF a year from waste biomass. To meet this capacity, DG Fuels will purchase around $120m of sugar cane waste (biomass) annually.

The JM and bp technology will convert the synthesis gas derived from the biomass to synthetic crude, which is then further processed to produce the synthetic kerosene that is then blended with conventional jet fuel to produce SAF.

Set to be operational in 2028, the plant will be the largest deployment of FT CANS to date, seven times larger than any other deployment of the technology.

DG Fuels is planning 10 more SAF production plants across the US. The sites would be modelled on the Louisiana plant, with JM and bp as the partners of choice.

Offtake agreements have already been signed with major airlines, including multi-year deals with both Air France-KLM and Delta Airlines.

Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive for Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Matthey, described the size of the project as truly exciting and believes it will help to take the industry closer to wide-scale use of SAF.

He continues, “DG Fuels has ambitious plans, and the fact it has secured agreements with major airlines demonstrates there is appetite in the market. Our FT CANS technology enables cost-effective deployment across a wide range of project sizes.”

The current international standards mandate that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) be mixed with up to 50% fossil kerosene to produce what is known as “drop-in SAF.”

Based on a typical widebody aircraft fuel consumption rate travelling the distance from London to New York, the projected production capacity of the plant for blended SAF can support over 30,000 transatlantic flights each year. This accounts for more than 3% of the annual traffic currently operating on this route.

SAF describes a category of fuel rather than a single product. It refers to any fuel designed for use in aircraft that is created from sustainable, non-fossil sources. It can be produced through various methods and from different raw materials, leading to small variations in its composition.

The intention is to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel by reducing the use of fossil fuels.

When used in commercial aviation, SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%, depending on the source of the feedstock and the processing. Feedstocks include waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste, and non-food crops.

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