Lydian, an electric fuels company, has announced a “successful” pilot demonstration of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology at RTI International, an independent nonprofit research institute in North Carolina, US.
The pilot plant is capable of producing up to 25 gallons of fuel per day using a process that combines captured CO2, water, and renewable electricity.
This process results in a drop-in alternative for conventional jet fuel, slashing emissions by up to 95%, according to the company.
Lydian reached this milestone in three years with “only a fraction of the capital typically associated with SAF demonstrations.”
The company’s power-to-liquids (PtL) method is said to leverage readily available and scalable feedstock, as well as require minimal land and water resources.
The PtL method also tackles the challenges of high electricity demand needed to power the technology.
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By GlobalData
Lydian’s modular reactors are designed for variable operation, adapting to the availability of low-cost renewable power.
This reduces operating costs, eases pressure on the electricity grid and lessens competition for clean energy.
The company stated that its approach is particularly advantageous as demand from sectors such as computing and manufacturing intensifies.
Lydian CEO and co-founder Joe Rodden said: “In less than three years, we’ve moved from concept to pilot, which marks a pivotal step towards our long-term goal of decarbonising aviation.
“This pilot showcases the viability of our novel technology to produce SAF and our ability to scale towards commercial production in record time.’
Lydian secured a DARPA award through the “Expeditionary Carbon Utilisation for Energy Resilience and Stabilisation” (ExCURSion) programme to develop portable, rechargeable power systems that store energy as carbon-based fuel.
The funding supports the creation of a prototype to address the logistical challenges of fuel supply in remote areas.
The company plans to launch its first commercial-scale demonstration plant in 2027, with ambitions for a full-scale commercial plant by 2030 with the capacity to produce 20 million gallons of SAF annually.
Lydian is advancing the project with a team comprising experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Anduril, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and institutions such as Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In November 2024, agriculture company Corteva and BP announced a joint venture to produce crop-based biofuel feedstocks, supporting SAF for aviation decarbonisation.
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