Hy+4SAF

Validation of the integrated novel concept: Selective plasma-catalytic conversion of waste streams and green hydrogen to alcohols boosting energy efficiency

01/09/2025

31/08/2028

Resumen y objetivos

Summary and objectives

Climate change and its potentially catastrophic effects call for the pursuit of more sustainable and efficient technologies and solutions. In 2022, the transport sector accounted for approximately 25% of global CO₂ emissions, with aviation playing a pivotal role. At the same time, global demand for aviation fuels is expected to double by 2050, the year by which the aviation sector aims to achieve carbon emissions neutrality.

The need to move away from petroleum and other fossil carbon sources is therefore imperative for sustainable transport. One solution to reduce environmental impact and dependence on fossil fuels is the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

To date, several SAF production pathways have been developed and have demonstrated commercial success, albeit with limited capacity. Nevertheless, further research is still needed to enable the sustainable, clean, affordable, and safe production of ≥ C12 alcohols.

Hy+4SAF will synergistically design a cascade process to hydrogenate CO₂ into C8+ alcohols under moderate conditions, contributing to the production of value-added chemicals and aviation fuel precursors through energy-efficient and carbon-neutral processes. Hy+4SAF consists of four subprojects:

PID2024-157282OB-C41 (Hy4OL) – FHA
PID2024-157282OB-C42 (SPARK) – INMA (CSIC)
PID2024-157282OB-C43 (MODUELS) – BCMaterials
PID2024-157282OB-C44 (CATGROW) – EHU

whose coordinated action is supported by a multidisciplinary team aiming for a strategic advance in the design of cooperative reaction engineering technology under non-conventional plasma and thermocatalysis.

El papel de la fundación

The role of the foundation

FHa’s work will focus on the overall coordination of the Hy+4SAF action and on leading the Hy4OL subproject, demonstrating the concept of a cascade reactor. This reactor will address the selective synthesis of chemicals (alcohols ≥ C8) and SAF precursors (alcohols ≥ C12) from renewable feedstocks (CO₂ and H₂) through an ethanol-mediated pathway under mild conditions. To this end, catalysts designed for operation in near-realistic environments will be evaluated:

Functionalized catalysts for plasma-assisted ethanol synthesis on digitally structured supports will be tested using near-real RFNBO feedstocks, non-pure CO₂, and H₂ with variable H₂O content;
Cooperative multielement MOF catalysts for C8+ alcohol synthesis on digitally structured supports using plasma-synthesized ethanol, while also assessing the catalytic consequences of by-products that may include methanol, ethanal, ethylene, CH₄, or CO from CO₂ hydrogenation.

Hy4OL will benefit from a pioneering catalytic and process engineering design aimed at intensifying aspects related to fluid separation, reaction engineering, and materials engineering. In this way, efficient and systematic integration of process intensification concepts will optimize the novel cascade reactor through a dual-reaction technology that is safe, compact, and energy- and cost-efficient.

Verification of the advances achieved in thermocatalytic chain-growth reactions promoted by capillary condensation under realistic conditions will support their future application in commercial reactors.