UK-based technology firm Johnson Matthey has introduced a new technology that converts captured carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Called HyCOgen, the new solution will be integrated with FT CANS Fischer Tropsch technology, which was developed by partnering with bp.

This is said to help the company provide a cost-effective solution to efficiently produce SAF at scale.

HyCOgen is Johnson Matthey’s reverse water gas shift technology, which is a catalysed process that transforms green hydrogen and CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO).

The CO is again mixed with hydrogen to create synthesis gas (syngas), which is a key element to produce fuels and chemicals.

Johnson Matthey said that the combination with the FT CANS technology will facilitate a process that converts more than 95% of the CO2 into ‘high-quality’ synthetic crude oil.

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The synthetic crude oil is again transformed into sustainable drop-in fuel offerings such as aviation fuels, renewable diesel and naphtha.

Johnson Matthey Sector CEO Jane Toogood said: “Given the challenges associated with new propulsion technologies and airport infrastructure, plus the long asset life of aircraft, there are significant hurdles in moving from hydrocarbon-based aviation fuel to alternatives such as battery electric or hydrogen.

“This is where Johnson Matthey’s longstanding expertise and market-leading position in syngas generation technology can play a crucial role by providing solutions that enable the production of sustainable drop-in fuels that are deployable today. 

“By combining HyCOgen with FT CANS, we can now deliver customers a cost-efficient, reliable and scalable technology to help increase SAF production, backed by our track record of successful technology development and commercialisation.”

The company added that the integrated HyCOgen/FT CANS solution can be implemented across a broad range of project sizes.

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