Argonne National Laboratory develop cost-competitive SAF from methane

In Illinois, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a novel technology that creates a cost-competitive SAF that could reduce GHG emissions in the aviation industry by up to 70%. Argonne’s life cycle and techno-economic models were used to analyze environmental impacts and economic viability of the SAF.

New research shows that novel methane arrested anaerobic digestion (MAAD) technology converts high-strength organic wastewater into volatile fatty acids, which can be upgraded to SAF. As key precursors for SAF production, volatile fatty acids can play a critical role in decarbonizing the aviation industry, said Haoran Wu, an Argonne postdoctoral researcher.