Record efficiency in tests converting CO₂ into sustainable aviation fuel components | News
Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), in collaboration with researchers from Aramco, have achieved the highest reported efficiency in converting carbon dioxide into jet fuel range hydrocarbons, advancing the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
A study published in ChemCatalysis describes a catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into long-chain hydrocarbons in the jet fuel category. The system achieved the highest reported yield for converting CO2 into jet fuel range hydrocarbons to produce these heavier fuel molecules. Approximately 75% of the liquid product is within the range required for jet fuel. The catalyst also operated continuously under reaction conditions for more than 1,000 hours, a crucial aspect for industrial implementation.
Aviation is widely regarded as a difficult sector to tackle due to its dependence on high-energy liquid fuels. While SAF helps reduce emissions on long-haul flights, its efficient production from captured CO₂ remains technically challenging because many existing routes favor lighter hydrocarbons, which evaporate too easily and lack the energy density needed for aircraft engines, or involve multiple processing stages.
To address this, the team integrated a machine learning method that systematically examines complex experimental conditions. The approach identified an unconventional, copper-rich catalyst formulation that outperformed more commonly studied compounds. The formulation provided higher selectivity for jet fuel range molecules, meaning more of the carbon was converted into usable jet fuel components rather than lower value byproducts.
However, to confirm the formulation’s relevance as a SAF candidate, the liquid product was upgraded through hydrogenation and distillation. The resulting improved fuel met key prescreening parameters aligned to ASTM D4054 standards, including flash point, volatility profile and energy content.
“This work shows how data-driven methods can accelerate catalyst discovery,” said Jorge Gascon, professor of chemical engineering at KAUST. “By combining machine learning with high-throughput experiments, we were able to achieve performance levels not previously reported for direct CO₂ conversion.”
Further scale-up, techno-economic evaluation and certification processes will be required before commercial implementation can take place. However, the findings provide a new performance benchmark for direct CO₂ conversion and contribute to ongoing efforts to develop low-carbon fuel pathways for hard-to-abate sectors.
In addition to the MoU under which Aramco invested in KAUST to establish a “Super Center,” the finding reflects the continued commitment to advancing research and development and accelerating energy technologies and clean energy innovation.
