This advancement has the potential to significantly reduce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production costs by up to 50% and cut related carbon emissions by up to 75%.
The funding round, led by TO VC and with participation from Alchemist Accelerator, Claire Technologies, and World Star Aviation, supported Unifuel Technology Funding to develop SAF production processes and establish a lab in Texas to scale SAF sample production.
With the global demand for SAF expected to increase tenfold by 2030, the Flexiforming process offers a solution to the challenges posed by the current SAF production landscape.
This technology employs renewable materials, including byproducts from existing SAF-making processes, to produce SAF chemically comparable to conventional jet fuel.
Thus, it paves the way for 100% synthetic jet fuel compatible with today’s aircraft fleet, further justifying the recent Unifuel Technology Funding.
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Joshua Phitoussi, the managing partner at TO VC said, “Unifuel has engineered a more efficient SAF production method that dramatically cuts costs while getting the most out of limited resources.”
He added, “This ingenuity exemplifies the type of high-impact, scalable solution we believe is essential for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, making them a strategic addition to TO VC’s portfolio of companies driving the transition to sustainable energy systems.”
Flexiforming also adds value to low-grade byproducts from traditional SAF production methods, such as naphtha and LPG, thereby enhancing overall SAF output and profitability for producers. The Unifuel Technology Funding supports these aspects.
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Cost-Effectiveness
The process can convert renewable materials into SAF and other sustainable chemicals, such as ethanol, methanol, renewable naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
It offers a cost-effective ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) pathway, costing half as much as current ETJ processes.
Flexiforming addresses HEFA’s limitations by converting its low-value byproducts into high-value SAF.
Unifuel’s Flexiforming technology has undergone over a decade of research and extensive testing.
With the close of this seed funding round, the company is preparing to enter the ASTM certification process for SAF and establish a Texas lab space to develop Unifuel Technology further.