China is progressing with a 1.2 billion yuan (more than US$178 million) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Hainan province, with the planned facility designed to produce up to 300,000 tonnes of fuel annually from food waste.
The plant is being developed by Hainan Eco Prime in the Yangpu Port Industrial and Logistics Pilot Development Zone on Hainan Island’s northwestern coast. Construction is reportedly proceeding according to schedule, with major underground pipeline work and primary infrastructure completed, while finishing work and equipment installation are underway.
The project is expected to undergo a pre-launch safety inspection by the end of 2026, paving the way for trial operations. The timeline is a reported target rather than confirmation that commissioning will take place by that date.
Hainan Eco Prime estimates that the facility could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 400,000 tonnes annually once operational. The company’s estimate has not been independently verified in the supplied material, and the final emissions benefit will depend on production performance and the methodology used to assess lifecycle emissions.
The proposed facility occupies approximately 100,000 square metres in the Yangpu industrial zone. Its planned feedstock is food waste, which would be converted into sustainable aviation fuel for use in the aviation sector.
The project represents a potential route for turning waste streams into lower-carbon aviation fuel, a segment of the energy transition that faces pressure to develop alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived jet fuel.
According to Zhang Zhilong, deputy general manager of the Eco Prime holding company, the facility will include hydrogen production units using light hydrocarbons, with a stated capacity of 2,000 normal cubic metres per hour.
The planned supporting infrastructure also includes a sulphur recovery system, storage tanks, and loading and unloading facilities. The hydrogen unit is a notable component of the project’s configuration.
