Global Bioenergies SAF technology receives ASTM certification

Global Bioenergies announced June 20 that its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) process has become one of the few technologies in the world certified by ASTM International.

Global Bioenergies’ technology converts industrial sugars into isobutene.

Three isobutene molecules combined together form isododecane, which is the basis for the company’s SAF.

Global Bioenergies’ fuel can now be blended up to 50 percent with fossil kerosene in existing airplanes.

The airline industry requires fuel used in airplanes to be ASTM certified, the company noted.

Sustainable aviation fuels are certified worldwide through the ASTM D7566 standard, which describes the fuel-specification requirements and the maximum blending percentage with conventional fuels.

This standard allows them to be considered as drop-in fuels, the company stated, which means they can be used safely in existing airplanes and infrastructures worldwide.

The inclusion of new SAF production processes in the ASTM standard requires an in-depth assessment of the fuel’s performance, after which a voting procedure is launched.

The voting process has now been successfully completed after consultation of the ASTM main committee, according to Global Bioenergies.

The company added that the updated ASTM D7566 standard will be published in the coming weeks.

“This positive vote is a tremendous recognition for Global Bioenergies and we thank the SkyNRG team for their great support in this ambitious process over the last years,” said Marc Delcourt, co-founder and CEO of Global Bioenergies. “It comes at a time when Europe has just adopted the RefuelEU plan, which aims at gradually increasing the production and incorporation of SAF from 2 percent in 2025 to 6 percent in 2030 and up to 70 percent by 2050. To date, SAF represents only 0.1 percent of aviation fuels. This ambition is based on the construction of a very large number of plants. The target of 2 percent by 2025 will be reached thanks to emerging technologies based on waste oil. Subsequent targets will have to be based on the commercial success of innovative technologies like ours.”

Maarten van Dijk, co-founder and chief development officer at SkyNRG, added, “Reaching the SAF certification for Global Bioenergies’ process is a great achievement for both our teams and a perfect example of what is needed to drive innovation and build a more sustainable aviation industry. To reach net-zero emissions, the industry now needs solid partnerships to realize the increase in production capacity. These include partners who commit to meaningful SAF offtakes, investors that recognize the importance of SAF in their portfolio and are willing to fund projects, and visionary leaders and governments who recognize and can address the investment hurdles that remain.”