Alder produces carbon negative SAF from Miscanthus

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced from Miscanthus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel, results from a comprehensive study carried out by Alder Renewables on Miscanthus showed.

“A purpose-grown energy crop, miscanthus can store roughly half of the carbon it removes from the air below ground. It builds extensive root and microbial systems that enrich soil, reduce water and soil runoff, and improve nutrient retention,” said Tim Obitts, CEO, Alder Renewables.

Alder Renewables was awarded a research and development cooperative agreement by the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to evaluate the potential of refining miscanthus into renewable transportation fuels, including SAF.

The company said that it had, in partnership with AGgrow Tech, grew and harvested Miscanthus in Illinois and Iowa, US. After harvesting, Miscanthus was pre-processed through fast pyrolysis and subsequently upgraded to Alder Renewable Crude (ARC). The ARC was refined into liquid hydrocarbon fuels with support by Honeywell UOP. Finally, SAF fuel property testing was completed by Washington State University (WSU).

Miscanthus-derived Alder SAF100 scored impressively across all major jet fuel property indices.

The SAF’s life cycle analysis determined the fuel has potential for being carbon negative, relative to conventional fossil jet fuel, without the need for additional CO2 capture technology.