Equilibrion and its partners, including the University of Sheffield, have been awarded funding through the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) to develop an Eq.flight demonstration plant towards large-scale power-to-liquids Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production using nuclear electricity and heat. The award will ensure delivery of a Pre-FEED study for a demonstration system using electricity and local heat inputs for highly efficient SAF production.

The Eq.flight system uses solid oxide electrolysis, reverse water-gas shift and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology to produce SAF with over 90% emissions saving compared to traditional jet fuel in alignment with the SAF Mandate and Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM). The use of nuclear electricity and heat inputs enables the Eq.flight system to operate all day every day without the need for costly backup generation or large energy storage systems.

The project continues Equilibrion’s strategy for projects that drive forward energy system decarbonisation and falls squarely within our Project Development arm of the business.

Power-to-liquids (PtL), which relies on low-carbon electricity and heat for its energy inputs to produce SAF from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is a key technology in achieving 2050 emissions reductions targets and the demand for fuel produced through this pathway is due to dramatically increase in the coming years. It is a priority technology for the UK Government, which has defined a PtL Mandate sub-target within the main SAF Mandate to provide revenue certainty for these projects.

There is now a major opportunity for investment and growth in domestic SAF production, using homegrown energy to create jobs across the UK and enable the UK to be less reliant on international imports. Our strategy remains true; that by building energy system value chains that take responsibility for their energy input from day one we can develop and deliver more investable, more resilient net-zero projects and more UK jobs across the energy system.

Equilibrion wishes to thank all its partners and supporters for their unwavering support and commitment to making the project a success, and looks forward to many more years of driving new opportunity for the nuclear sector and creating new energy pathways that lead to meaningful decarbonisation solutions.

For the DfT announcement see here: Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) competition winners – GOV.UK

For more information see here: www.eqflight.com and for a conversation or interest in being involved in the project please contact grace.hodgkiss@equilibrion.co.uk.