Velocys launches new SAF reactor-core assembly facility, catalyst operations in Ohio

Photo: Velocys

Velocys announced Oct. 23 the launch of its new 52,500-square-foot technology facility in Plain City, Ohio, which will house the reactor-core assembly and catalysis operations that form a critical part of the production process for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The new site enables the consolidation of Velocys’ catalysis services, microchannel reactor-core assembly and technology licensing under one roof.

The building’s construction began in mid-2022 and was finished by the end of the year with fit out completed over the winter.

Following the completion of an Enterprise Zone agreement signed with Union County and Jerome Township, Ohio, for a package of investment incentives and a grant received from JobsOhio, Velocys said it has already hired a number of senior personnel.

The company is currently occupying the space with 20 employees and installing equipment that is expected to be fully commissioned for production from mid-2024.

Eventually the facility will house approximately 35 employees when in full production.

The new site has the capacity to produce approximately 48 cores per year, enough to support 12 reactors, which is the typical requirement for the operation of a single commercial-scale SAF biorefinery, with a capacity to convert approximately 1 terrawatt-hour per year of energy.

It is expected that the facility will have sufficient production capacity to meet projected orders until 2028, including those from Velocys’ two biorefinery reference projects—Bayou Fuels, Mississippi, and Altalto, Immingham, U.K.

As part of a 15-year lease agreement, Velocys contributed $2 million towards the construction with the remaining $8 million being contributed by the developer, Warner Industrial Corporate Centers 2 LLC, a subsidiary of Ohio-based developer Pagura Co.

The launch event will take place Oct. 24 with Velocys executives, clients, board members, local stakeholders and colleagues.

“The completion of this state-of-the-art facility is a real milestone both for Velocys and for the move to decarbonize the aviation industry,” said CEO Henrik Wareborn. “It is another critical piece in the jigsaw to go alongside the support we are receiving from regulatory and policy initiatives in all of our core markets. I would like to offer my thanks to the state of Ohio along with the many contractors who have completed this project in such a short time frame. To move from planning permission to completion in two years is a testament to all those involved and takes us a big step closer to enable our clients to produce SAF with ultra-low carbon intensity at commercial scale.”