Swedish Biofuels: ASTM decision brings 100% SAF certification within reach

Swedish Biofuels AB announced Aug. 8 that the ASTM International Committee has accepted the use of C2 to C5 alcohols as feedstock for the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathway as well as a new specification for fully formulated aviation fuel with aromatics.

The ASTM International Committee D02 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels and Lubricants, and Subcommittee D02.J on Aviation Fuel, passed a concurrent ballot late June extending ASTM D7566, Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons, by a new Annex 8 submitted by Swedish Biofuels AB.

When published, the revised issue of D7566 will be numbered D7566-23a and will display the specification of ATJ synthetic paraffinic kerosene with aromatics (ATJ-SKA) produced by Swedish Biofuels technology and using single C2 to C5 alcohols or a combination of two or more C2 to C5 alcohols as feedstock for the process.

Unlike previously approved pathways, the Swedish Biofuels pathway is not limited to a single feedstock and includes the production of aromatics.

With the ability to flexibly vary the amount of aromatics, the fuel produced by Swedish Biofuels is completely indistinguishable from fossil kerosene in its composition and properties.

Even though D7566-23a currently only permits use of the jet fuel produced as a 50 percent blend with fossil kerosene, it is an important milestone in the sustainability journey and a short reach to 100 percent certification, according to Swedish Biofuels.

Once D7566-23a is published by ASTM, it will be eligible as a standard to be used for fuel production for commercial airlines.

It is estimated that these final actions will be completed by ASTM in the third quarter of this year.

Swedish Biofuels said it is the inventor of the original ATJ technology patented in 2004 for the production of fully formulated SAF from alcohol.

The company has produced, sold and delivered fully formulated SAF for tests, certification and demonstration programs in the U.S., U.K., Sweden and Germany.

The trade name of Swedish Biofuels’ ATJ SAF production technology is PureSAFSM.

Swedish Biofuels has an alliance with KBR to offer PureSAFSM technology to the market.

In addition to processing ethanol and other alcohols, this technology can also convert carbon dioxide and synthesis gas to SAF, thereby expanding opportunities to utilize captured carbon.

Validation of this advanced technology was performed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) at GKN Aerospace Sweden.