SkyNRG has selected Technip Energies, Sasol and Topsoe for front-end engineering and design work on its Project Wigeon sustainable aviation fuel facility in Washington State, GreenAir News reported. The proposed plant is designed to produce 50 million gallons, or 143,000 tonnes, of SAF annually from renewable natural gas using Fischer-Tropsch technology. SkyNRG says key permits have been obtained, with start-up targeted for 2031 as the development progresses towards a future final investment decision.
Separately, Technip has awarded Emerson a contract to supply automation technologies for SkyNRG’s DSL-01 SAF plant, which is under construction in the Netherlands. The two projects were among several production and technology developments covered by GreenAir News, including a synthetic aviation fuel demonstration by Aether Fuels and refinery co-processing work using Canadian forestry residues.
Aether says it has deployed its 2.5 barrel-per-day Aurora technology to make synthetic aviation fuel meeting ASTM specifications from renewable natural gas and industrial carbon dioxide. The company describes this as a first for a North American business. Its commercial project pipeline includes Singapore’s Project Beacon, which aims to produce 2,000 tonnes of SAF annually from industrial waste and biomethane. Aether also has memoranda of understanding with Singapore Airlines, JetBlue and FlyORO.
In Canada, ARC-Bio, a joint venture between Bioénergie AECN and Alder Renewables, reported demonstrating a forestry-residue pathway to SAF through refinery co-processing. Fast pyrolysis oil produced from forestry residues in Quebec was upgraded into barrel-scale quantities of Alder Renewable Crude. The resulting biocrude was subsequently processed in a pilot fluid catalytic cracking unit intended to replicate commercial refinery operations.
Technology partnerships are also advancing. Axens and Hong Kong-based engineering contractor Wison Engineering have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore global SAF and synthetic SAF projects, including Fischer-Tropsch applications. Axens has separately been chosen to supply FT Liquid Upgrading technology for Expander Energy developments in Alberta and British Columbia. In blending, Singapore-based FlyORO Technologies has signed a letter of intent to join ICAO’s Finvest Hub, which connects aviation decarbonisation projects with investment sources. FlyORO will contribute experience in modular systems that blend certified neat SAF with conventional jet fuel to make finished, specification-compliant aviation fuel.