Avioxx and Zero announce groundbreaking developments in Sustainable Aviation Fuel production
London, United Kingdom – 28 January 2025 – Avioxx and Zero have announced significant advancements in developing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technologies, supported by the DfT-funded UK SAF Clearing House.
Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said:“We are committed to making the UK a clean energy superpower and reaching our Net Zero targets, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change. “Our SAF Clearing House programme is supporting innovative British companies to develop the clean technologies and fuels needed to make air travel greener, so that people can fly more sustainably over the years to come.” Avioxx is pioneering a novel route to SAF production using solid oxide fuel cells to generate power and hydrogen from waste hydrocarbons. The company is progressing through three key phases:
Construction of a modular 200 Tonnes per Annum (TPA) demonstration plant.
Development of a 5,000 TPA plant.
Scaling up to a 32,000 TPA commercial-scale plant.
Fuel samples will be produced via a lab-scale prototype in the early stages of the project, which is funded by the UK SAF Clearing House. These samples will be crucial for research and development, process verification, further intellectual property opportunities, and insights into the 200 TPA plant's development. Chris Hancock, CEO of Avioxx, said: "We’re excited to be pioneering a new approach to producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel using solid oxide fuel cells. Our goal to create cutting-edge sustainable jet fuels works towards our mission of helping to reduce the environmental impact of air travel. The support from the UK SAF Clearing House is invaluable as we move through development from a lab-scale prototype to a full-scale commercial plant." Zero Petroleum (“Zero”), an innovator in synthetic fuel production, specialises in "100% drop-in" net zero carbon fuels. These renewable fuels are fully compatible with existing engines and transport infrastructure. Their innovative process captures carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into a synthetic gas mixture, which can be refined into fuel. With advice and funding from the UK SAF Clearing House, Zero aims to achieve fast-track approval for its Zero® Jet A-1 synthetic Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF) product through the recognised industry-standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) qualification. This milestone will enable Zero to engage aviation equipment manufacturers to encourage the uptake of its SAF, which is globally unique as a 100% replica of Jet A-1 fuel. Paddy Lowe, Zero founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to accept the DfT’s SAF Testing Grant to fast track ASTM approval for our 100% replica Jet A-1 synthetic SAF (eSAF), which constitutes a major endorsement from one of the world leaders in sustainable aviation fuels. This grant will enable us to engage with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs - the companies that design and build aircraft and their components), and share ongoing results, with an accelerated timeline that would make Zero one of the first eSAF producers in the world to achieve ASTM certification and the first to do so through the UK SAF Clearing House. We are grateful to have the support of the UK Government as we ensure that our fuel meets the highest standards for mass adoption.” The UK SAF Clearing House is crucial in these developments. Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), it provides grants and support for the development, testing, qualification, and production of SAF to establish the UK as a global leader in SAF production and usage. Professor Chris Lewis, Director of the UK SAF Clearing House, said: “We’re excited to support innovative projects like these from Avioxx and Zero. These initiatives are essential for advancing SAF technology in the UK, helping us move towards a more sustainable aviation industry, reducing carbon emissions and promoting cleaner skies”. The UK Government has committed to legally binding targets to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and individual carbon budgets. As part of this, using SAF is a key technology and part of the government’s Jet Zero Strategy policy measures. The UK SAF Clearing House supports the government’s ambition to build a thriving SAF production industry, bring UK innovations to the commercial market, support thousands of green jobs, and enhance UK fuel security. A UK SAF mandate was signed into law in November 2024 and will become effective from New Year’s Day 2025. It sets annual targets for fuel suppliers to blend a proportion of SAF into their fuel supply, which increases linearly from 2% in 2025 to 10% in 2030 and then 22% in 2040. The mandate promotes the development of advanced fuels that achieve higher emission reductions.