Maire’s Nextchem awarded licensing agreement for Canadian biomass-to-syngas SAF project

Maire announced June 17 that its majority-owned Nextchem subsidiary MyRechemical has signed a licensing agreement with Sustaero GP Inc. in relation to a project for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass in Canada.

Under the agreement, Nextchem will provide the license for its proprietary NX CircularTM technology for the biomass-to-syngas section of the plant, representing the first step of production.

The project is aimed at producing purified chemical-grade syngas from forest residues, which will then be used for subsequent conversion into SAF.

Nextchem’s proprietary NX CircularTM process covers the high-temperature gasification and melting of wastes and biomass residues to synthetic gas and its further purification.

Set to be operational in 2030, the plant will produce up to 144,000 tons of SAF annually from residual biomass, with expansion potential of up to four times its initial capacity.

Countries such as Canada and the Scandinavian region are increasingly focusing on the sustainable valorization of forest residues, which, if left unmanaged, accumulate on the ground and increase the risk of wildfires.

Through solutions such as NX CircularTM, this abundant feedstock can be transformed into low-carbon fuels, while also contributing to the reduction of environmental risks and supporting a more circular and resilient ecosystem.

Sustaero is developing SAF capacity in Canada from wood waste, leveraging its proprietary SOAR™ process and integrating Nextchem’s NX Circular™ gasification technology.

The company focuses on sustainable and reliable feedstock supply chains to support the production of low-carbon aviation fuels.

Following the final-investment decision (FID), the agreement also provided for a scope expansion potential, including the process-design package as well as the supply of proprietary equipment, technical services and catalyst.

“This agreement confirms the market interest in our proprietary gasification solutions for advanced and versatile waste-to-value applications from multiple feedstocks,” said Fabio Fritelli, the managing director of Nextchem. “By enabling the production of purified syngas for SAF, we are supporting Sustaero in the development of an innovative pathway that combines circularity with decarbonization objectives.”

Sustaero CEO Keith Gillard added, “We are thrilled to be working with Nextchem to convert Canada’s abundant wood waste into SAF and eSAF. We evaluated all technologies and nothing compares to the performance of the NX CircularTM for processing biomass into the cleanest syngas.”