A Maryland-based startup, Atlantic Biomass, LLC, has announced the development of a new biomass processing system that it says can nearly double sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) yields without adding major costs. The company claims the technology could offer a more affordable pathway to large-scale renewable jet fuel production, Bioenergy Insight reported.
Working with researchers from Ohio State University and Hood College, and supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through its Small Business Technology Transfer programme and the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, the company has developed what it calls a “Dual Pathway” system.
According to Atlantic Biomass, the system can raise biomass-to-SAF conversion rates from about 42 per cent to 79 per cent. It operates two production routes at the same time: the traditional biomass-to-ethanol-to-SAF process and a separate stream that produces high-purity syngas. Both routes use the same upstream infrastructure.
The company said combining the two pathways into a single integrated system removes the need for certain intermediate processing steps and allows continuous improvements during operations.
Atlantic Biomass said four main process improvements form the basis of the system. These include carrying out ball milling and enzyme hydrolysis together, which removes the need for costly thermo-chemical pre-treatment. The process also combines fermentation steps to overcome conversion limits without raising costs. In addition, the system uses a specific vessel design that converts most of the biomass into a fermentable slurry within 24 hours.
The primary raw material for the system is perennial grasses. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 Billion Ton Report estimates that perennial grasses in the United States could supply between 284 million and 535 million tonnes of biomass annually for biofuel production. Atlantic Biomass said that by working with existing ethanol and syngas-based SAF plants, its system could potentially produce more than one million barrels of SAF per day from domestic grass feedstocks — enough to meet all U.S. commercial and freight aviation demand.The company is also developing portable versions of the system for use in grass-growing regions around the world. These units are intended to supply biomass feedstock to existing SAF production facilities in Europe and Asia.
