Nextchem awarded contract for SAF project in Australia

Maire announced Aug. 17 that Nextchem, through its subsidiary MyRechemical, has been awarded licensing, a process-design package (PDP) and engineering services by SKY Renewables Burdekin Pty. Ltd., an Australian project-development company focused on the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for the syngas section of Project Lion in North Queensland’s Burdekin region.

The project will use locally available sugarcane residues as feedstock to produce purified chemical-grade syngas through the application of NX Circular™ gasification technology.

The syngas will then be used for subsequent conversion into SAF and renewable diesel through third-party solutions.

Once at full operational scale, Project Lion has the potential to produce up to 125,000 metric tons of SAF per year.

By valorizing sugarcane tops and trash, residual biomass that is often burned in the field, the project demonstrates how NX Circular™ gasification enables the transformation of agricultural residues into a valuable intermediate for low-carbon fuels, while supporting a more sustainable use of local biomass resources.

The award is subject to a notice to proceed, with the exception of certain engineering services.

“This award confirms the strategic relevance of Nextchem’s proprietary technologies in enabling the development of sustainable fuels from renewable and residual feedstocks,” said Fabio Fritelli, the managing director of Nextchem. “We are proud to contribute to a project of this kind in Australia, a geography of growing importance in the evolution of the industry and an important area for the diversification of our portfolio. By leveraging our gasification technology, we can support the conversion of locally available sugarcane residues into low-carbon fuels, combining circular-carbon solutions with the decarbonization needs of aviation.”