Jet Zero Australia Pty Ltd (Jet Zero) has officially commenced the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase for Project Ulysses, a significant ethanol-to-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) initiative, in partnership with Technip Energies (T.EN).
The biofuel facility, located in Townsville, Australia, is expected to produce 102 million litres of SAF and 11 million litres of renewable diesel annually, using Australian bioethanol.
The project will utilize LanzaJet’s Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) technology, which combines Technip Energies’ patented Hummingbird® technology to convert ethanol into ethylene. This ethylene will then undergo further processing with LanzaJet’s oligomerisation and hydrogenation technology to produce SAF and renewable diesel.
The FEED phase will begin with Front End Value Engineering and is expected to take several months to complete. The full FEED process is projected to be finalized ahead of the Final Investment Decision (FID), planned for 2025.
Project Ulysses has already received support from several key industry players, including Airbus, Qantas, and Idemitsu, as well as from the Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Queensland Government under the Queensland New-Industry Development Strategy (QNIDS).
The project is expected to have a significant economic impact on North Queensland, generating over 100 skilled jobs and contributing to Australia’s energy security by increasing domestic jet fuel production for both civilian and government aviation.
Bhaskar Patel, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies, commented: “We are pleased to be selected by Jet Zero Australia for this project, which supports our goal of providing decarbonization solutions for the aviation industry. Our team is looking forward to applying our Hummingbird® technology to offer a carbon-efficient pathway to SAF.”
Ed Mason, CEO of Jet Zero Australia, stated: “The development of sustainable aviation fuels for the Australian aviation sector is moving forward with the start of this engineering phase. Technip Energies’ expertise in SAF technologies and their strong presence in Australia were key factors in selecting them for the project.”
Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, added: “Australia’s push to develop a domestic SAF industry will help enhance energy security and create jobs. LanzaJet’s technology is well-suited for this transition, and we are proud to be part of the country’s first SAF project.”
Jet Zero Australia is a biofuel company focused on developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects aimed at decarbonizing the aviation industry. The company is currently advancing Australia’s first ATJ SAF project, Project Ulysses in Townsville, and progressing Project Mandala, a Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acid (HEFA) project, in partnership with Apeiron Bioenergy.
