Recognizing the vast opportunities associated with the implementation of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), JGC Indonesia is keenly interested and committed to supporting the sustainable environment and energy initiatives. As the parent company of JGC Indonesia, JGC Holdings has diverse experience in developing SAF plants, covering Feasibility Studies (FS), Pre-FEED, FEED, and EPC phases. Over and above that experience, JGC Holdings is working on the first large-scale SAF Plant in Japan with multiple companies, spanning from FS, FEED, and currently EPC.

JGC Holding’s involvement in SAF development aligns with its commitment to advancing the Green Energy Solutions agenda. JGC Indonesia understands the emerging issue of green energy and a sustainable environment, which eventually led the company to expand its expertise in SAF production and feedstock management.  

Together, JGC Holdings and JGC Indonesia engage with the industry experts to explore how UCO, one of the world’s most abundant waste, can be transformed into sustainable energy. Walk with us through why and how UCO can be re-processed into aviation company’s favorable fuel, SAF.

Background of UCO to Biofuel

For decades, oil has been used for numerous purposes in daily life, primarily in food preparation. In today’s world, along with the widespread popularity of fried delicacies, the accumulation of waste cooking oil has significantly increased.   In Indonesia, by 2022 alone, an estimated 900,000 tons of waste oil are discarded without proper waste treatment. ^[16].  

The abundance of those waste oil, hereby referred to as used cooking oil (UCO), has become a growing environmental concern ^[9][14].Supposing that the UCO is discarded into water bodies, it will block the oxygen route into the water and affect the aquatic creatures. When discarded at lower temperatures, the UCO will solidify and block the drainage. Other than that, UCO emits a foul odor and may cause corrosion in metal and concrete elements ^[6].

Given the ideas of what improper disposal of UCO may lead to, extensive research has been conducted by professionals to find a way to overcome the issue. One of the most promising ideas is to convert the UCO into biofuel. Which raises the next question: what type of biofuel is best suited for this purpose, and why?

UCO to SAF

            UCO contains a high concentration of free fatty acid (FFA), making it a valuable feedstock for biofuel production. As the waste-to-energy concept keeps gaining momentum, biofuel produced from UCO offers a viable solution to energy shortages and environmental pollution issues ^[14][12].

One promising utilizations of UCO is to convert it into aviation biofuels ^[4][13]. UCO along with animal fats and raw vegetable oils is considered as lowest-cost feedstock for alternative jet fuels, hence counted as the most preferred feedstock by aviation company ^[3]. Even though it might raise a question of why do aviation company have to deal with municipal solid waste issue?

The answer lies in the aviation sector’s role as the fastest-growing sector of transportation in terms of emissions, which makes it the key area to overcome the Green House Gas (GHG) issues^[7]. To address the issue, alternative aviation fuels such as bio-jet fuels, synthetic jet fuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied hydrogen (LH2), electro fuels, and electricity are being explored. Among these, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) appeal to aviation companies’ preference due to their economic competitiveness and drop-in compatibility with existing aircraft, and fuel systems, and significant potential to reduce emissions. ^[5].

What is SAF?

SAF is a liquid substitute for fossil jet fuels that can be generated from sustainable resources (feedstock) that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) during their lifecycle. These feedstocks include waste oils, agricultural and forestry residues, and from non-biological origins, such as green hydrogen.

Unlike conventional jet fuel, SAF does not emit sulfur-oxides (SO_x) and allows the significant reduction of fine particles and contrails, having a positive impact on the radiation-forcing effects—events that can cause climate changes—of aviation ^[15].

Detailed information regarding SAF and its urgency can be found on: SAF is the future of low carbon. 

How to produce SAF from UCO?

The production of SAF can be proceed accordingly to different technology pathways, however, with UCO as main feedstock, the most compatible process is Hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) ^[1].

The process for the conversion of UCO to SAF through HEFA pathway includes three major steps which includes: pretreatment, hydro-processing, and product fractionation. HEFA, also referred as HRJ (Hydro-processed renewable jet), which pathway can be explained through simple schematic illustration of the production shown in the figure below:

(Credit to UOP in Ajam & Viljoen)

The produced SAF from pathways above with UCO as feedstock can be blended with conventional jet fuel directly to be incorporated into existing airport fueling systems and on-board aircraft without any required adaptation ^[2]. Hence, SAF from UCO is considered as a “drop-in” jet fuel, with a blending ratio to conventional jet fuel up to 50% under existing aviation standards.

Current Situation and Considerations

There are several considerations when it comes to converting UCO to SAF, which is understandable given its status as a relatively new application and technology. There are four challenges to be highlighted regarding the issue:

1. Public Awareness and Participation – How to encourage household to participate in the sustainable practices on UCO disposal.
2. Supply Continuity – Ensuring a consistent and reliable UCO supply for long term run.
3. Regulatory Compliance – Adhering to international standards and regulation, particularly the ICAO CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and reduction Scheme for International Aviation) roadmap, which mandates sustainability criteria and lifecycle emissions reduction for SAF.
4. Higher Cost – SAF produced from UCO remains more expensive than conventional fossil-based kerosene ^[3][10].

            However, despite the challenging situations, it is already proven that as per today SAF can already be applied in amount up to 50% to the existing aviation engines, fully meeting ASTM D7566 certification requirements.  Various research is carried out on exploring the possibility of increasing the proportion, that will allow complete conventional fuel replacement by SAF in the future. Align with ICAO’s long-term goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 ^[11].

With the support and guidance of JGC Holdings, JGC Indonesia is committed to participate in the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for both research and commercial applications in Indonesia. This includes ensuring full regulatory compliance with ICAO, ASTM, and national aviation authorities to facilitate SAF adoption and integration into existing aviation fuel supply chains.

Reference:

1. Ajam, M. & Viljoen, C. 2021. Synergies between renewable kerosene and Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (FT-SPK). P: 4.
2. 2023. Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Edition 4. https://aviationbenefits.org/media/168027/atag-beginners-guide-to-saf-edition-2023.pdf. Accessed on November 4, 2024. P. 13.
3. Bauen, A., Bitossi, N., German, L., Harris, A., Leow, K. 2020. Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Johnson Matthey Technology Review.https://doi.org/10.1595/205651320X15816756012040
4. Chiaramonti, M. P., Buffi, M., Tacconi, D. 2014. Sustainable bio kerosene: process routes and industrial demonstration activities in aviation biofuels. Energy 136: 767https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.08.065.
5. Dietrich, R. U., Adelung, S., Habermeyer, F. et al. Technical, economic, and ecological assessment of European sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) production. CEAS Aeronaut J 15, 161–174 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-024-00714-0
6. , G. D., Domenico, A. D., Ferrara, C., Abate, S., Osseo, L. S. 2020. Evolution of Waste Cooking Oil Collection in an Area with Long-Standing Waste Management Problems. Sustainability (12):2-9.
7. Hu, Y., Yang, L., Cui, H., Wang, H., and Li, C. 2024. Developing a balanced strategy: A multi-objective model for emissions reduction and development of civil aviation in China. Energy: 307. P. 1.
8. 2022. Basic Agreement Concluded on Cooperation to Commercialize Domestic SAF. https://www.jgc.com/en/news/assets/pdf/20220629_01e.pdf. Accessed on October 10, 2024.
9. Kamilah, H., Azmi, M. A., Yang, T. A. 2015. Knowledge, Attitude and Perception towards the Consumption of Waste Cooking Oil between Suburban and Rural Communities. International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering Information Technology (5):
10. Liu, T., Liu, Y., Wu, S., Xue, J., Wu, Y., Li, Y., Kang, X. 2018. Restaurants’ behavior, awareness, and willingness to submit waste cooking oil for biofuel production in Beijing. Clean. Prod. 204: p. 636.
11. Marszalek, N., and Lis, T. 2022. The future of sustainable aviation fuels. Combustion Engines 191(4): 35.
12. Pikula, K. S., Zakharenko, A. M., Chaika, V. V., Stratidakis, A. K., Kokkinakis, M., Waissi, G., Rakitskii, V. N., Sarigiannis, D. A., Hayes, A. W., Coleman, M. D., Tsatsakis, A., Golokhvast, S. 2018. Toxicity bioassay of waste cooking oil-based biodiesel on marine microalgae. Toxicol Rep (6): 112. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.12.007.
13. Prussi, M., O’Connell, A., & Lonza, L. 2019. Analysis of current aviation biofuel technical production potential in EU28. Biomass and Bioenergy (130):doi: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.10537
14. Sahar, S. S., Iqbal, J., Ullah, I., Bhatti, H. N., Nouren, S., Iqbal. 2018. Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil: An efficient technique to convert waste into biodiesel. Sustainable Cities and Society, (41): 220. doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2018.05.037 
15. 2024. Sustainable Aviation Fuel: What is it and why does it matter? https://skynrg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Whitepaper-What-is-SAF-1.pdf. Accessed on November 4, 2024.

Suzihaque, M. U. H., Alwi, H., Ibrahim, U. K., Abdullah, S., Haron, N. 2022. Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil: A brief review. Materialstoday: proceedings (63):490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.04.527

This article is written by:
Amalia Audina Rosa
Sales Team

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