Volume 66

Comparative Techno-Economic Analysis of Next Generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels Kamran Zamanpour, Mohammad Reza Ghaani, Stephen Dooley

Abstract

This study compares four different scenarios for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production using techno-economic analysis (TEA) to assess the Levelized Cost of SAF (LCoSAF). The SAF pathways assessed are: (i) Methanol-to-Jet sourcing carbon from post-combustion carbon capture (MTJ-PCC), (ii) Methanol-to-Jet sourcing carbon from biomethane (biomethane-MTJ), (iii) Hydrothermal Liquefaction of sewage biosolids (HTL), and (iv) Lignocellulosic biomass Fast Pyrolysis bio-oil (FP).
The TEA methodology draws on real-world feedstock and process descriptors and imposes elemental mass balances across critically reviewed unit processes, producing aviation turbine fuel with properties modeled to be within ASTM D4054 specification limits. The results show that SAF produced from lignocellulosic biomass fast pyrolysis has the highest potential, with an LCoSAF of 746 €/t. In comparison, the LCoSAF for Methanol-to-Jet (PCC), Methanol-to-Jet (biomethane), and Hydrothermal Liquefaction of sewage biosolids are 1,109, 2,263, and 5,153 €/t, respectively.

Keywords Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Techno-economic Analysis, Methanol-to-Jet, Fast Pyrolysis, Hydrothermal Liquefaction, Levelized Cost of SAF