Page 158 - CW E-Magazine (27-8-2024)

News from Abroad

GREENING AVIATION
Sora Fuel secures funding to advance atmospheri-

cally-sourced SAF production

Sora Fuel, a US startup producing SAF, the Hydroprocessed Esters and air capture (DAC) CO at just $20 per
2
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using only Fatty Acids (HEFA) process relies on tonne, operating in a fully closed-loop
water, air and renewable energy, has raised limited waste oil feedstock that alone system that uses only water and renew-
an oversubscribed $6-mn seed round. The can cost $3.50 per gallon, while the able electricity to produce syngas.
funding will be used to expand Sora Fuel’s alcohol-to-jet process competes with agri-
Boston-based team, develop commerciali- culture and leads to soil degradation. “Compared to incumbent DAC
sation partnerships and further advance the Waste gasification and point-source solutions, Sora Fuel’s DAC-to-fuels
company’s novel technology. power-to-liquid processes are less re- approach dramatically reduces overall
liant on valuable resources, however energy inputs, eliminates the need for
Aviation emissions currently ac- both provide limited greenhouse gas feedstocks (other than air and water),
count for 2.5% of global CO emissions reduction potential, as the underlying and provides a scalable process for effi-
2
and approximately 4% of global warm- feedstocks of both processes contain/ ciently and cost effectively producing
ing. As demand for air travel continues rely on non-biogenic sources of carbon. SAF and any other downstream pro-
to surge, SAF will play a crucial role ducts of syngas,” the company claimed.
in decarbonising this hard-to-abate Sora Fuel said it offers a new path “Our patented, closed-loop system ena-
sector. However, existing SAF pro- for producing SAF by capturing and bles the direct generation of an econo-
duction processes are fundamentally using atmospheric CO at costs that are mical product and overcomes wide-
2
constrained, requiring vast amounts of an order of magnitude lower than exis- spread feedstock constraints, allowing
energy, feedstocks and investment to ting processes. The company’s nov- us to produce SAF at prices compara-
make a meaningful impact. For exam- el technology includes a liquid bicar- ble to current jet fuel,” said Mr. Gareth
ple, today’s only commercially viable bonate electrolyser that delivers direct Ross, co-founder and CEO of Sora Fuel.
INFRASTRUCTURE
EcoCeres readies biorefinery expansion in Malaysia

with new storage agreement

Hongkong-based renewable fuel
producer EcoCeres has said that its sub-
sidiary has agreed to lease 100,000-m
3
in Dialog Terminals Langsat (3) Sdn.
Bhd. (DTL3)’s expanded storage facili-
ties in Tanjung Langsat, Johor Darul
Ta’zim, Malaysia.

Dialog Terminals Langsat is an indi-
rect wholly-owned subsidiary of Dialog
Group Berhad. It recently expanded its
facilities with an additional 150,000-m of a significant investment in a new pro- rundown pipelines. The EcoCeres renew-
3
of storage for renewable and petroleum duction facility in Pasir Gudang, Johor, able refinery will produce sustainable
products and secured the said take-or- Malaysia. The new renewable refinery is aviation fuel (SAF), hydrotreated vege-
pay agreement with EcoCeres. The ex- expected to be operational in the second table oils (HVO), and renewable naph-
pansion of the terminal is expected to half of 2025 and is strategically located tha, which will be stored in DTL3’s
be completed in Q1 FY2027. The new less than 1-km from DTL3, with direct dedicated (to EcoCeres) tanks. The faci-
lease follows EcoCeres’ announcement connection to DTL3’s storage tanks via lity has an capacity of up to 400-ktpa.

158 Chemical Weekly August 27, 2024

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised