Topsoe's HydroFlex™ technology: the aviation industry's path to carbon neutrality

Topsoe is a global provider of patented technologies and a catalyst producer, and as a global pioneer in carbon reduction technologies, it is committed to providing solutions needed to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries such as aviation, maritime, long-haul transportation and heavy industry, which account for about 30% of the world's carbon emissions.

Recently, Yang Dajun, President of Topsoe (China), introduced Topsoe's new process HydroFlex™ technology and new emission management solutions for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in an exclusive interview, which he will share with readers.

 Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is leading the technological revolution in the aviation industry

According to data released by the Ministry of Transport on October 7, during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in 2023, the total number of civil aviation passengers in the country increased by 12.6% compared with the same period in 2019 and 194.9% over the same period in 2022. The aviation industry accounts for about 3% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, and the carbon emissions and global climate change risks caused by the boom in the aviation industry are forcing the industry to actively look for solutions to reduce carbon emissions and promote more sustainable development.

China's aviation industry needs to take an important step towards achieving the required levels of sustainable aviation fuel production and demand in line with the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Against this backdrop, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged, widely recognized for its advantages of not requiring large-scale changes to existing aviation infrastructure and equipment, and is set to enable the aviation industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the coming decades.

 In 2020, Topsoe launched a new company motto "Ultimate Chemistry for a Better Future", "Carbon neutrality is no longer an option, but a necessity. Contributing to China's green and low-carbon environment and sustainable development in the new era and increasing the localization process is a consistent commitment of Topsoe. Yang Dajun introduced.

How is Topsoe acting towards net-zero carbon emissions?

For the aviation industry, since the vast majority of commercially operated aircraft are provided by a small number of companies, the development and application of new technologies mainly rely on the technological progress of these few aircraft complete aircraft and key component providers, so from a "controllable" point of view, the application of SAF has become the most important carbon reduction measure for airlines.

For China, which currently ranks second in the world in aviation business and is expected to grow rapidly in the future, and most of the commercial aircraft in the Chinese market are provided by foreign companies, SAF will also be the key to achieving "autonomous and controllable" emission reductions.

Topsoe launches HydroFlex™ technology

Yang Dajun explained that Topsoe's innovative Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) process, HydroFlex™ technology, is a hydrotreating technology that is a new process that increases the refinery's ability to process renewable feedstocks and feedstock flexibility. Virtually any renewable feedstock can be converted into additive, ultra-low sulfur gasoline, jet fuel or diesel for high-quality, clean fuels.

While conventional aviation fuel is mainly derived from oil, sustainable aviation fuel focuses on replacing petroleum resources and using renewable energy as a feedstock. Compared with the first generation of FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) or traditional non-renewable raw materials, renewable raw materials suitable for HEFA are rich in raw materials and have many sources, mainly oils and fats, including animal oils, vegetable oils, catering waste oils, etc., as well as algae substances. "Topsoe's HydroFlex™ fuel is the best in its class." Yang Dajun said firmly.

By applying HydroFlex™, low-value feedstocks can be converted into additive, renewable jet fuel and diesel, while meeting all globally accepted fuel standards. In addition, the HydroFlex™ process design reduces capital expense (CAPEX) while reducing energy consumption during operation, resulting in lower carbon intensity (CI). HydroFlex™ is one of the world's most successful renewable fuel technologies to date.

Renewable raw materials are complex and have different compositions, including animal fat, tall oil, etc., what is "raw material flexibility"?

"Our technology is flexible enough, first of all, to handle a wide range of different raw materials." Yang Dajun said.Topsoe can be tailored to the refinery's location and business-specific needs The HydroFlex™ unit is capable of hydrogenating virtually any type of renewable oil, as well as processing a mix of renewable and non-renewable feedstocks. Currently, the HydroFlex™ technology has been applied to 10 units, with nine more plants for jet fuel production expected to start up in 2023.

In addition to the use of renewable raw materials, Topsoe can also produce e-SAF from carbon dioxide and water, in addition to renewable raw materials. In addition, Topsoe has developed HTL hydrothermal liquefaction technology and G2LTM green fuel technology, providing customers with a complete solution for waste-to-biooils.

 Topsoe's SAF technology is in line with global standards

Industry experts agree that the use of SAF is the primary decarbonization approach for the next 30 years and the most straightforward way that can be applied directly to existing aircraft. Topsoe's focus on the development of new technologies for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) continues to gain recognition from the global market, with more than 50 units for the production of renewable fuels already available worldwide.

Topsoe is also actively seeking to strengthen and accelerate the development of SAF production through the establishment of joint ventures. In the first quarter of 2023, Sasol and Topsoe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) solutions. The joint venture will leverage the deep technological capabilities of both companies to produce SAF from non-fossil feedstocks using sustainable sources of green hydrogen, carbon dioxide and/or biomass. These unique and complementary technologies offer multiple avenues for large-scale production of SAF.

The U.S. proposal to supply 3 billion gallons of SAF per year by 2030 and meet 100% of aviation fuel needs with SAF by 2050 is a significant but achievable challenge for Topsoe, as new biofuel projects are being launched almost every month.

While Topsoe is actively exploring sustainable aviation fuel technologies, industry policies have also brought new challenges to the development and application of new technologies. In September 2023, the European Parliament formally adopted a regulation setting targets for the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at airports within the European Union. The regulation stipulates that SAF at airports in the EU should account for 2% of jet fuel by 2025.

Topsoe is also actively expanding into the Southeast Asian market. PT KPI, a subsidiary of Indonesia's national oil company, announced that it has selected Topsoe as its technology supplier for its renewable fuel production division, supplying its HydroFlex™ technology for the production of renewable fuels at its Ciraza refinery in central Java, Indonesia. Once completed, the new plant will use Topsoe technology to convert biofeedstock into SAF and renewable diesel, with a planned capacity of 6,000 barrels per day.

"As a major aviation country, China's aviation industry is taking an important step towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and it is urgent to promote SAF production and demand to the necessary levels. Topsoe will closely follow the policy and continue to leverage its advantages in sustainable aviation fuel technology to help China achieve green, low-carbon, efficient and safe high-quality sustainable development in the context of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions requiring the whole industry to implement green, low-carbon and sustainable development. ”