Unifuel’s SAF accepted for phase one of ASTM qualification
California-based ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer Universal Fuel Technologies (Unifuel) said that it has been accepted into the ASTM D4054 Clearinghouse.
The qualification supports technical evaluation of SAF to be blended in to conventional jet fuel.
Unifuel, prior to the acceptance, completed a five-month pilot project wherein it produced nearly 100 liters of sample material for four different SAF pathways under stable process conditions.
The campaign focused on converting methanol and ethanol, and ethanol with paraffinic renewable naphtha made via Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), into SAF. The samples then underwent comprehensive testing by Washington State University’s Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab.
“The acceptance into the D4054 Clearinghouse is an important validation of our Flexiforming technology and significantly derisks our road to approval for commercial use,” said Alexei Beltyukov, CEO of Universal Fuel Technologies. “This advancement indicates that our SAF can meet the toughest performance standards without sacrificing scalability or quality, and has technical credibility in the eyes of industry experts.”
The ASTM D4054 evaluation process is the aviation industry’s framework for ensuring that new fuels can safely power aircraft engines.
The process includes multiple tiers of testing, data collection and technical review by experts from leading aerospace companies.
“We accept candidate fuels into the D4054 Clearinghouse that show strong potential for completing the ASTM qualification process successfully,” said Dr. Zachary West, D4054 Clearinghouse Director. “This marks a significant milestone for Universal Fuel Technologies towards their goal of commercial acceptance.”
Following Unifuel’s D4054 Clearinghouse acceptance, the company will proceed with producing larger fuel samples for detailed Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing required for ASTM qualification.
The company expects initial qualification to come as soon as the end of 2026 as a blend component with fossil jet. From there, further testing is planned, with the goal of leading to a 100% drop-in fully synthetic jet fuel in the future.
D4054 Clearinghouse was established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under its Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment (ASCENT) programme. ASCENT is a cost-sharing program that the FAA established with academia and industry to conduct research on alternative jet fuels and the environmental impact of aviation.