Pilot Plant for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Based on Methanol

To enable climate-friendly long-haul flights, the aviation industry needs liquid fuels with high energy density. The “SAFari” project aims to develop an efficient production process for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) based on methanol. Led by Fraunhofer ISE, a consortium of research and industry partners is developing and testing a tailored pilot plant that demonstrates the innovative methanol-to-jet process on an industrially relevant scale. The focus is on efficient reaction and separation processes, intelligent integration of materials and energy, and fuel quality for ASTM certification. The goal is to reduce hydrogen consumption and emissions, achieve high yields, and pave the way for a scalable transition to more climate-friendly air travel.

Initial Situation

The more than 23,000 large aircraft worldwide consume approximately 350 billion liters of fuel annually and account for about 3 percent of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Electrification is not feasible, particularly for long-haul flights exceeding 4,000 kilometers, which require liquid fuels with high energy density. A sustainable, synthetic liquid fuel made from methanol is expected to eventually replace fossil kerosene entirely on longer routes and reduce CO2 emissions.

Objective

The “Sustainable Aviation Fuels based on Advanced Reaction and Process Intensification (SAFari)” project aims to develop an efficient production process for sustainable aviation fuel based on methanol. A consortium of research and industry partners spanning the entire value chain is producing and testing sustainable kerosene from methanol in a pilot plant specifically designed for this purpose. The plant is intended to demonstrate technological feasibility and reproducibility on an industrially relevant scale. The goal is to show that synthesizing methanol-based aviation fuel can reduce hydrogen requirements and achieve higher overall process efficiency. The focus is on innovative reaction technologies across the various subprocesses and on intelligent integration of materials and energy.

The project aims to achieve full market approval of this methanol-based process route from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). To date, only ethanol and isobutanol have been approved as feedstocks. Since July 2026, methanol has also been recognized as an approved feedstock for the Alcohol-to-Jet production pathway. The SAFs currently approved by the ASTM allow for a blending ratio of up to 50% with conventional kerosene. The SAFari project aims for a blending ratio of up to 100% in the future.

The SAFari approach can help completely replace fossil fuels in long-haul aviation and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of aviation fuels in an economically viable way. Because SAF is much purer than conventional kerosene, it also produces almost no contrails in the air, which also contribute to global warming.

Approach

The methanol-to-jet process uses sustainable methanol derived from biogenic sources or from hydrogen and captured CO₂. In the first phase of the six-year project, the individual synthesis and separation steps for the intermediate and final products were carried out on a laboratory scale. This was accompanied by prescreening, a process for the early evaluation and characterization of fuels with regard to product compliance. Once all optimal operating parameters had been experimentally determined, the integrated SAFari process concept was developed with the support of a process simulation platform. Based on this, an equipment list was drawn up for the procurement and construction phase of the pilot plant. Delivery and commissioning of the plant will take place in the fourth year of the project, with the goal of supplying the quantities required by ASTM through continuous production and demonstrating technological feasibility and reproducibility on an industrially relevant scale. Subsequently, during the final two years of the project, a techno-economic and environmental assessment of the SAFari process, the planning of a large-scale plant, a risk analysis, a retrofit evaluation, and market entry strategies for the technology’s commercialization will be carried out.

In addition to simulating the conversion of methanol to SAF, the ISE is also simulating the potential for integrating H₂ and CO₂ production facilities.

Results

Following the successful completion of the qualification process by the international standards organization ASTM, methanol was included as an approved feedstock for the alcohol-to-jet production pathway in the revision of the international specification ASTM D7566 Annex 5, published on July 30, 2026. This means that, in the future, methanol-to-jet blending components can also be produced and blended with at least 50 percent by volume of conventional kerosene to create a so-called drop-in fuel. This fuel is fully compatible and can be used without any modifications to aircraft, engines, or existing infrastructure. Throughout the multi-year project, the project partners closely supported the ASTM qualification process. This allowed developments in the evaluation process to be incorporated into the project work at an early stage and taken into account during the development of the manufacturing process.

Work on the research project is in progress: In addition to the ASTM qualification, further results are expected in the upcoming phases.

The “SAfari” project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV).