Avina Clean Hydrogen will invest $820m to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in southwest Illinois, the US.
Leveraging partner KBR’s alcohol-to-jet technology and hydrogen in the production process, the plant is planned to produce up to 120 million gallons of SAF annually.
In the SAF production process, hydrogen will be essential for catalytic upgrading of alcohol intermediates into hydrocarbon fuels to meet stringent aviation standards. It hasn’t been revealed, however, whether the hydrogen will be produced on-site or imported.
The PureSAF alcohol-to-jet technology required was secured after a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) and technology licensing agreement was awarded to KBR last August.
Additionally, the facility’s location will take advantage of the region’s existing rail and pipeline infrastructure to deliver SAF to major airports in the Midwest, such as Chicago O’Hare International Airport to help drive decarbonisation.
“With the support of Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), this facility will position Illinois as a key player in the growing SAF market,” explained Vishal Shah, Founder and CEO of Avina Clean Hydrogen.
Whilst it’s anticipated to prevent 25 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually over its operational lifespan, the project will also create 157 full-time jobs and 1,000 construction contracts.
Governor JB Pritzker claimed Illinois has seen “record growth” over the past few years in terms of decarbonisation, with several companies relocating to the state.
The Governor added, “Avina Clean Hydrogen’s new SAF production facility will support our ambitious goals for a clean energy economy by substantially reducing carbon emissions and creating new jobs for Southwest Illinois.”
The $820m investment by Avina is being supported by the state’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) programme, which provides competitive incentives to clean energy projects in Illinois.
