Post by Fraunhofer UMSICHT

✈️ A Milestone for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ASTM International’s recognition of the methanol-to-jet pathway marks an important milestone for sustainable aviation fuels. With this decision by the world’s leading standards organization for aviation fuels, methanol takes on new significance as a feedstock for the production of SAF. For Fraunhofer UMSICHT, this development confirms a research direction we have been pursuing for years: utilizing industrial CO₂ sources, producing green methanol, and further processing it into synthetic fuels and chemical products.   🏭 One example is the Carbon2Chem® joint research project. Since 2023, sustainable methanol has been continuously produced there from actual blast furnace gases in a demonstration plant at the Duisburg steelworks site. To date, more than nine metric tons of methanol have been produced. This work complements our Methanol-to-X pilot plant in Oberhausen, where we are researching the further processing of methanol into fuels and chemical products. The plant is operated using methanol from our own production to realistically simulate the process chain from CO₂ to the end product.   ⚙️ The “Leuna100” project addresses another key component. It is home to the world’s first pilot plant for green methanol, which is powered by our low-temperature differential-pressure CO₂ electrolyzer. This electrolyzer converts CO₂ and water into synthesis gas for downstream methanol synthesis. Together, the projects form a continuous value chain from CO₂ utilization to synthetic fuels.   ➡️ The ASTM decision underscores the growing importance of methanol as a platform molecule for the defossilization of aviation and confirms the relevance of the technologies and process chains required for this. We have research and demonstration facilities that investigate the entire process chain – from CO₂ utilization to fuel production – under real-world conditions. Companies working on e-methanol, e-SAF, or the utilization of industrial carbon streams are invited to join us in testing and further developing new technologies and shaping the path toward industrial application.   👉 If you’re interested, please feel free to contact our colleagues Ulf-Peter Apfel, Andreas Menne or Kevinjeorjios Pellumbi directly.   #SAF #eSAF #EMethanol #PowerToX #CCU #Carbon2Chem #Leuna100