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As the aviation industry accelerates toward net-zero emissions by 2050, the demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is surging. While several pathways exist to produce SAF, Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) fuel is emerging as a leading contender offering scalability, feedstock flexibility, and regional production potential that makes it ideal for wide-scale deployment, especially in fast-growing regions like Asia-Pacific.
Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) is a certified SAF production pathway that converts low-carbon alcohols, typically ethanol or isobutanol, into synthetic jet fuel that meets the same performance and safety standards as conventional aviation fuel. The process involves dehydrating the alcohol into olefins, oligomerizing them into longer hydrocarbons, and finally refining the product into jet-range fuels (kerosene). The result is a drop-in fuel that can be blended with fossil jet fuel and used in existing aircraft without modifications.
AtJ fuels are certified under ASTM D7566, the international specification for alternative aviation fuels. Blends of up to 50%AtJ SAF with conventional Jet A-1 are approved for commercial use, and research is underway to push this toward 100% SAF in the future.
Several key advantages position AtJ technology at the forefront of future SAF production:
1. Feedstock Flexibility
Unlike some other SAF pathways that depend on specific lipid- or fat-based feedstocks, AtJ can use a wide range of biomass sources from sugarcane and corn to agricultural residues, industrial waste gases, and cellulosic materials. This makes it especially valuable in regions like Euro-APAC where feedstock types and availability vary significantly.
2. Scalability
AtJ leverages existing global ethanol infrastructure, an industry producing over 100 billion litres annually, and can be co-located with ethanol facilities to scale quickly. This enables distributed, regional production close to aviation demand centres, reducing transport emissions and infrastructure bottlenecks.
3. Proven Emissions Reductions
AtJ SAF can reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel, depending on the feedstock used. When produced from waste-based or cellulosic ethanol, the carbon savings are among the highest of any SAF pathway, making it attractive for airlines under carbon reduction mandates like CORSIA and net-zero commitments.
4. Commercial Momentum
Major players like LanzaJet, Gevo, and several international oil companies are investing in commercial-scale AtJ facilities. LanzaJet’s Freedom Pines plant in the U.S., expected to begin production in 2025, will be the first commercial AtJ plant in the world, producing over 30 million litres annually. Projects in Japan, India, and Southeast Asia are following closely behind.
AtJ is a core part of CR Fuels’ modular SAF strategy. By pairing AtJ technology with flexible, scalable production units, CR Fuels aims to deliver SAF where it’s needed most - across the Euro-APAC region. Our upcoming Project VerdeJet One is being developed with AtJ technology at its core, enabling future plants to tap into a wide range of regional feedstocks and accelerate SAF deployment across diverse geographies.
As global SAF demand grows, projected to exceed 450 billion litres by 2050, the need for scalable, flexible, and high-yield pathways like Alcohol-to-Jet becomes clear. With growing policy support, improving economics, and maturing technology, AtJ is set to play a central role in powering the sustainable skies of the future.
