OXCCU launches SAF demo plant at Oxford Airport

UK-based sustainable fuels company OXCCU announced the launch of its first official demonstration plant, OX1, at Oxford Airport.

“We’re beyond excited to launch the OX1 plant, located close to where OXCCU was born. The fuel we’ve already made in a single step from CO2 in the lab has created great excitement with its potential to massively reduce the cost of SAF, but the scale up is key, and this plant will generate the data and litres of fuel we need,” said Andrew Symes, CEO of OXCCU.

The plant will convert CO2 and hydrogen through its catalyst and reactor design directly into long-chain hydrocarbons with high conversion and selectivity for use as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

This first-of-a-kind facility, based at London Oxford Airport and designed and operated by OXCCU, will produce 1 kg (~1.2 litres) of liquid fuel per day and will start operations in September 2024.

The plant will be the world’s first demonstration of the direct conversion of CO2 and H2 to jet fuel range hydrocarbons in a single step with minimal oxygenated byproducts using OXCCU’s novel catalyst.

The demo site will serve as the framework for the company to design, build and operations of the 160 kg (200 litres) per day OX2 plant, previously announced, which will operate at Saltend Chemical Park Hull in 2026.

Commercial plants supplying the UK and elsewhere with PtL SAF will then follow.