World Energy, a low-carbon solutions provider based in Boston, is planning to convert its Houston refinery into a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant. It hopes that the increase in production will lower costs and make SAF more accessible to aviation and other industries.

By 2025, World Energy hopes that the converted plant will produce 250 million gallons of SAF annually. In conjunction with its existing SAF plant in Los Angeles, the company aims to produce one billion gallons annually by 2030.

In a bid to drive large-scale decarbonization in the aviation industry, World Energy has committed to working with a number of carriers, including United Airlines and JetBlue, as well as aircraft manufacturer Boeing, to provide solutions to their sustainability needs.

Why Houston?

Located on the Houston Ship Canal, the refinery is well-connected by water and land, and is within easy reach of both George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P Hobby Airport (HOU). It also has access to low-cost hydrogen, crucial for the production of SAF.

In a press release, World Energy CEO Gene Gebolys commented on the plans for the company’s Houston plant, which it acquired in 2016, stating,

"Houston is the logical choice for World Energy's Aviation Zero plant two. Not only does our positioning here provide unparalleled finished product access but provides tremendous access to global feedstocks, emerging sources of low-carbon hydrogen, and even access to captured carbon to advance commercialization of innovative new processes for the production of SAF. We've been operating here in various capacities nearly two decades and we recognize why Houston is the beating heart of America's energy complex."

The project may well get an additional boost from the recently announced Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in the US, which offers new tax credits and other financial incentives to makers of SAF.

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Sustainable aviation fuel

SAF is made entirely from renewable resources, and its carbon emissions are up to 85% lower than those of conventional jet fuel. It is currently approved at a 50/50 blend level with conventional jet fuel for commercial use, but work is well underway to gain approval for the use of pure 100% SAF in the near future.

The use of SAF is one of the key ways in which airlines and aircraft manufacturers can reduce their carbon emissions and therefore meet their sustainability targets. However, it is currently costly to produce, and as a result, its use is minimal, although growing.

World Energy hopes that the cost savings brought by the increased production at its Houston refinery will help to make SAF more accessible to airlines worldwide. TAP Air Portugal, for example, recently completed its first flight using SAF, operated by one of the airline’s Airbus A321neos.

Read more about sustainability in aviation here.

World Energy – a leading low-carbon solutions provider

In addition to the conversion of its Houston refinery, World Energy is investing $2 billion to expand its first SAF refinery, located in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles plant was the first SAF plant in the world, and remains the only one currently in operation in the US.

World Energy was founded on Earth Day in 1998, and is now one of a number of providers to announce plans for large-scale SAF production. Over in the UK, the North East Scotland Green Freeport recently launched a bid to build a SAF plant in St Fergus, Scotland.

What do you think of World Energy’s goal to produce 250 million gallons of SAF annually at its Houston refinery? Share your thoughts by commenting below.