Aviation is responsible for 2% of all man-made carbon emissions (IATA, 2021) and this impact can even increase to 20% in 2050 if no measures are taken. Unfortunately, aviation is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize compared to other modalities such as road transport or trains, which are rapidly developing on electrification and the use of hydrogen. In the foreseeable future these options will not be feasible alternatives for aviation, especially for long haul flights. As a result, aviation must rely on other emission reduction possibilities such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Current SAF production capacity is however covering less than 1% of the total jet fuel market (STAT, 2020).
The FLITE project will boost this SAF production capacity by building Europe’s first-of-its kind LanzaJetTM Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) facility. This facility will convert waste-based ethanol to SAF. The waste-based ethanol will be produced from abundant sustainable sources that do not compete with food or feed. FLITE will establish the complete supply chain from ethanol to multiple end users of SAF and Renewable Diesel. It will be a proof point and catalyst for further development of the AtJ technology within Europe and across the world. In addition, FLITE will contribute to the increasing SAF demand created by Europe’s promising policy systems and international airline customers. The FLITE consortium consists of: SkyNRG, LanzaTech, Fraunhofer, E4tech and RSB.
FLITE’s objectives:
- Demonstrate pre-commercial scale production of Alcohol to Jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK). The facility will be operated for at least 1000 hours at >75% utilization (TRL7) and produces approximate 30,000 mt of SAF per year. The feedstock will be waste-based ethanol.
- Demonstrate the flexibility of ethanol-based ATJ technology for meeting the needs of commercial aviation.
- Ensure global monitoring of the technology from the technical, environmental, economic and socio-economic perspective.
- Risk review
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), sustainability assessment for sustainability certification, and life cycle costs analysis (LCCA) will be executed.
- Socio-economic monitoring methodology will be implemented.
- Developing and implementing an innovation strategy that allows control over the intangible and tangible assets developed during the project and thus enables the future exploitation of the project developments.
- Generate the project stakeholder community and keep the key audiences aware of FLITE’s developments by means of an integrated dissemination and communication strategy.
