Sustainable Aviation Fuel—An Innovative Approach for Developing an Optimized Methanol‐Based Production Pathway
Thomas Streich, Harald Kömpel, Tobias Kimpel, Simone Bettinger, Michael RothABSTRACT
The aviation sector contributes 2%–3% of global CO 2 emissions, but improvements in aircraft efficiency are cancelled out by the rapid growth in air travel. Achieving net‐zero emissions by 2050 requires a transition to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Existing bio‐based routes are limited by feedstock availability, low CO 2 reduction potential and blending caps of 50%. Methanol‐based pathways, enabling flexible use of biogenic and PtL feedstocks, offer a promising alternative. This paper reviews SAF production routes and regulatory constraints, highlighting a novel MeOH‐to‐SAF process designed for 100% drop‐in fuels. Scheduled pilot‐scale validation aims to demonstrate scalability, optimize performance and ensure compliance with ASTM standards, advancing aviation decarbonization.