Electrified integrated gas-to-liquids enables decentralized sustainable aviation fuel production from biogas and CO2

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production from distributed biogenic carbon resources remains limited by the high capital intensity and process complexity of conventional gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies. Here, we report the development and pilot-scale validation of Cool GTL™, an electrified, integrated GTL platform designed for the decentralized conversion of biogenic gas and CO2-derived carbon into drop-in transportation fuels. The process combines an internally electrically heated reformer, Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, and direct product upgrading in a compact configuration that eliminates external fired reformers, intermediate syngas conditioning, and stand-alone hydrocracking. The electrically heated reformer simultaneously converts CH4, C2⁺ hydrocarbons, steam, and CO2 through bi-reforming to produce synthesis gas with an H2/CO ratio of 2.0–2.55, enabling direct FT conversion without downstream adjustment. Unlike conventional GTL systems, the integrated upgrading reactor enables hydrocracking and hydroisomerization directly in the presence of CO, eliminating the need for CO removal and reducing the requirement for high-purity hydrogen supply. The fully integrated pilot plant demonstrated stable operation for more than 2,400 h using multiple carbon feedstocks and produced over 190 L of liquid hydrocarbons, with approximately 50 wt% distributed in the SAF boiling range. The optimized SAF fraction satisfied applicable ASTM fuel specifications, including freeze-point requirements. Compared with scaled-down conventional GTL designs, the simplified configuration reduced estimated capital cost by approximately 78% for a 2,500 bbl/d system. These results demonstrate an electrified, low-complexity GTL pathway that enables economically attractive decentralized production of SAF from biogenic carbon and CO2.