Germany-headed thyssenkrupp Uhde, a leading provider for engineering, construction, and service of chemical plants, has announced that its biomass gasification technology has been selected for the French BioTJet project led by Elyse Energy SAS and its partners (Axens, Avril, IFPEN). This project will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from end-of-life wood waste and local forestry residues with the addition of green hydrogen. By 2029, BioTJet will supply SAF to reduce carbon intensity in aviation, e-bio-naphtha for road transport, and bio-sourced chemistry.
The aviation industry is considered one of the hard-to-abate sectors in the green transformation.
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are required by the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, starting with a 2 percent quota in 2025 and aiming for 70 percent SAF in all EU airports by 2050.
Led by France-headed Elyse Energy, a pioneering industrial SME specializing in the production of sustainable fuels and low-carbon raw materials, the BioTJet project is based on the E-BioTfueL concept, which combines biomass eligible to produce advanced biofuels per EU RED definition and green or low-carbon hydrogen eligible to produce renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) or electro-fuels (eFuels).
The technology brings proven process building blocks that have been developed and tested in a semi-industrial plant from 2010 to 2021 by the Bionext consortium, comprising Avril, Axens, CEA, IFP Energies Nouvelles, TotalEnergies, and thyssenkrupp Uhde.
After thoroughly examining the available and bankable technologies, we are now more convinced than ever that we have made the right choice for our project with the E-BioTfueL concept and the technology partners involved to provide cost-competitive SAF and naphtha to the market by 2030 and contribute to address climate change, said Pascal Penicaud, President of Elyse Energy.
Detailed engineering phase
Axens signed a license agreement for BioTfueL technology in 2024, which includes a “PRENFLO” gasification technology from thyssenkrupp Uhde, a “GASEL” Fischer-Tropsch and syngas upgrading technology from Axens with a basic engineering completed in November 2024 and currently being within the detail engineering phase.
Axens, along with our parent company IFP Energies Nouvelles, has invested significant capital in demonstrating technologies at a semi-commercial scale and advancing the energy transition, particularly in SAF processes. We are thrilled to be part of the BioTJet project, which is strategic for Axens and our longtime partner thyssenkrupp Uhde. The BioTJet project leverages a breakthrough technology, BioTfueL, underscoring our commitment to innovative solutions in the energy sector, said Quentin Debuisschert, CEO of Axens.
Robust and proven gasification technology
With its origins in the Koppers-Totzek process, the PRENFLO gasification technology has been continuously refined to meet evolving industry needs. It is known for its robustness and flexibility and can handle a wide range of feedstocks.
With over 100 gasifiers successfully realized, thyssenKrupp Uhde is both a pioneer and world leader in gasification technology.
PRENFLO is a pressurized, entrained-flow gasification technology developed and first demonstrated by thyssenkrupp Uhde in the late 1980s.
It has been implemented in various large-scale projects, including the world’s largest single-train, solid feedstock-based integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power plant, owned and operated by ELCOGAS, located in Puertollano, Spain, and continuously developed further to the application of 100 percent biomass.
The technology uses second-generation biogenic feedstocks such as waste wood, woodchips, straw, forest residues, and agricultural waste.
Part of thyssenKrupp Uhde’s Decarbon Technologies portfolio, PRENFLO will contribute to the sustainable production of biomass-based synthetic products, including methanol, hydrogen, and SAF, with the BioTJet project underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing clean energy technologies and supporting the global transition to sustainable sources.
We are proud to see how the E-BioTfueL concept – which includes our advanced PRENFLO technology – has now turned into the first commercial Biomass-to-SAF application in the European Community. The collaboration with our French partners underscores our commitment to driving the green transformation and delivering sustainable value to our customers and stakeholders, said Nadja Håkansson, CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde.
