JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (JX) and Sumitomo Corporation have formed a partnership to manage their investment in the Louisiana Green Fuels BECCS project.
Located at Port of Columbia, Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, the project involves the building of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant. The plant will convert woody biomass waste into synthesis gas, and then synthesise and upgrade it into SAF and renewable naphtha.
The plant will be powered by a biomass-fired power plant using sawmills and other woody biomass waste. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to emit CO2 related to the site.
It is hoped that the site will begin commercial operations in 2029 and produce around 32 million gallons of SAF annually.
News of the deal follows Sumitomo announcing a joint development agreement with Strategic Biofuels in February 2024 for the SAF plant.
Toshiya Nakahara, President and CEO of JX, described the project as an excellent opportunity to enhance the company’s capability in the energy transition, including BECCS.
Sumitomo and JX, through its US subsidiary NOEX USA, will create a consortium called Magnolia Sustainable Energy Partners (M-SEP) to oversee and invest in this project.
Sumitomo and NOEX USA also plan to investigate more projects related to CCS technologies, using Sumitomo’s worldwide efforts and JX’s know-how in the field.
Nakahara continued, “JX is excited to join this journey with Strategic Biofuels and Sumitomo to jointly lead this project to success, leveraging our expertise in CCS-built projects.”
Once complete, the project will create approximately 150 direct jobs onsite, while five to six times as many indirect job opportunities are also expected and will contribute to the improvement of the local quality of life.
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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