Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Wood Waste Via Gasification - Methanol to Jet Fuel: A Modelling and Optimization Approach

Aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming, especially due to the effects of emissions at altitude. In this context, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) emerge as a strategic alternative to reduce the sector's environmental impact. Among the different technological production routes, the use of methanol as an essential chemical intermediate, obtained from the gasification of wood waste, stands out. Methanol can be further converted into high-quality synthetic aviation fuels through the methanol-to-jet (MtJ) route, representing an efficient, scalable, and lower-carbon solution for aviation decarbonization. This study aims to optimize the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from the gasification of wood waste, integrating technical and economic aspects. The modeling was developed based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP), aiming to maximize net present value (NPV) and minimize costs throughout the SAF production chain obtained by the methyl route. The model considers biomass availability, supply logistics, and conversion plant capacity. In addition, the NPV and minimum selling price (MSP) were estimated in order to assess the economic viability of the process. The estimated MSP for SAF was 2,839.68 USD/t, which is higher than that of fossil fuel, which is around 697.6 USD/t. It is concluded that the proposed route has competitive potential, especially with incentive policies such as carbon credits.