The research team, led by senior researcher Ha Jeong-Myeong and researcher Yu Chun-jae from KIST’s Clean Energy Research Center, had successfully created a next-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with properties similar to petroleum-based jet fuel. (Image courtesy of KIST)
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have achieved a major step forward in sustainable aviation by developing a new way to produce high-energy fuel from non-edible plant materials like wood and grass.
The research team, led by senior researcher Ha Jeong-Myeong and researcher Yu Chun-jae from KIST’s Clean Energy Research Center, announced on November 13 that they had successfully created a next-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with properties similar to petroleum-based jet fuel.
SAF has recently gained attention as the aviation industry faces mandatory greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Current SAF production primarily relies on food-based resources such as waste cooking oil and palm oil. However, securing large quantities of these food-based materials has proven challenging, prompting researchers to explore alternatives.
Previous attempts to produce biofuel from wood and grass yielded compounds more similar to gasoline, making them unsuitable for aviation purposes. The KIST team overcame this limitation by introducing additional decarbonization and polymerization reactions to the oils extracted from wood and grass decomposition.
The newly developed fuel contains most of the high-energy components essential for aviation fuel, including naphthenes and aromatics with the necessary carbon ring structures. The research team explained that when mixed with existing SAF, which contains high levels of paraffins (another crucial component), the new fuel could completely replace conventional petroleum-based aviation fuel.
In a significant step toward commercial viability, the team also developed a production process that can operate continuously for over 100 hours, even in the presence of impurities.
Previous attempts to produce biofuel from wood and grass yielded compounds more similar to gasoline, making them unsuitable for aviation purposes. The KIST team overcame this limitation by introducing additional decarbonization and polymerization reactions to the oils extracted from wood and grass decomposition. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
“SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional petroleum-based aviation fuel,” said Ha. “This technology expands the resource base for aviation fuel production by enabling the use of non-food resources like wood and grass, moving beyond the current reliance on edible materials.”
The research findings were published in the international journal “Energy Conversion and Management” on August 15.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
