From forest residues to sustainable aviation fuels (RE-SAF)

This project was a continuation of the Swedish Energy Agency–funded pre-study “'Från flis till flygplan i Småland” The project brought together the consortium consisting of Växjö Energi (VEAB), Södra, RISE, KLM, SkyNRG, and the 2030-Sekretariatet to carry out an in-depth feasibility study on the production of forest-based aviation fuels.

The project comprised a techno-economic assessment of a concept based on biomass gasification combined with Fischer–Tropsch synthesis to produce biojet fuel and naphtha. The concept was applied to VEAB’s facility in Växjö through integration with the existing combined heat and power plant and was compared with a similar integration option at the Mörrum pulp mill. A sustainability assessment from forest to wing was carried out to ensure that the produced biojet fuel meets climate and environmental requirements. A business case was developed by analyzing market potential, product value, and production and value-chain costs.

The results show that the concept is technically feasible, with only minor differences between the sites. However, the investment cost for a full-scale plant is high relative to the production volumes. The life-cycle assessment indicates approximately 95% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to the fossil reference using RED methodology, well above the RED III requirements. No other significant environmental barriers were identified.

Sustainable biomass supply is critical. The project was therefore supported by SkyNRG’s sustainability advisory board, which developed a framework for sustainable harvesting of tops and branches and recommended RSB certification of the feedstock value chain. The carbon payback time is estimated at 10–20 years but could be significantly reduced through improved carbon and energy efficiency, which should be further investigated.

The business analysis shows that the concept is currently not economically viable due to high investment and production costs. At the same time, there is good availability of biomass feedstock and opportunities for cost-effective offtake of biojet fuel and naphtha. Overall, the project confirms the sustainability potential of the concept but highlights high technical risk, limited commercial scale, and the need for further optimization to improve carbon and energy efficiency, as well as long-term policy incentives.