SAFFiRE Renewables Fuel broke ground on a pilot plant that represents a firm step toward meeting the goals of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. The SAFFiRE plant, located at Conestoga Energy’s Arkalon Energy facility in Liberal, Kansas, will ultimately be capable of processing 10 tons of corn stover daily, yielding cellulosic ethanol that can be upgraded into SAF with a carbon footprint at least 83% lower than conventional jet fuel.

In 2021, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) provided initial funding for the plant, which Southwest Airlines matched.

With funding from BETO, NREL’s patent-pending biorefining technology is critical to the SAFFiRE pilot plant. Known as deacetylation and mechanical refining, the process uses a “gentle” alkaline bath and a mechanical shredder to prepare corn stover for ethanol fermentation—boosting yields and lowering costs.

The subsequent cellulosic ethanol can be upgraded into SAF at LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet facility in Georgia—another first-of-its- kind facility supported by BETO and Southwest Airlines.

Plant construction will continue through 2025, with completion targeted for Q4 of that year. Construction and development of the plant is expected to have measurable benefits for the Kansas economy.