Producing Aviation Fuel from Landfill Gas... KRICT Successfully Demonstrates 100kg SAF Per Day [Reading Science]

Overcoming the Limitations of Waste Cooking Oil...
Microchannel Reactor Opens the Door to Distributed Aviation Fuel Production

A domestic technology that produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from landfill gas generated by food waste and sewage sludge has reached the demonstration stage. This achievement is notable for presenting a small-scale, distributed production system that can be applied even at local landfill sites, going beyond the conventional large-scale plant-based aviation fuel production methods.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology announced that a research team led by Principal Researcher Yoonjo Lee, in collaboration with Intocore Technology, has successfully demonstrated an integrated process capable of producing 100 kg of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per day using landfill gas derived from organic waste such as food waste.

Plasma reforming reactor built by Intocore Technology. Provided by Korea Institute of Chemical Technology

Seeking Solutions to SAF Supply Shortages... Overcoming the Limitations of 'Waste Cooking Oil Dependence'

The aviation industry is one of the main contributors to global carbon emissions, and the international community is promoting the mandatory use of SAF as a key alternative. SAF is a renewable aviation fuel produced from organic waste or biomass, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil-based aviation fuel. However, due to high production costs and limited feedstock availability, some airlines in Europe and Japan are reflecting SAF costs in airfares.

Currently, the refining industry mainly uses waste cooking oil as the feedstock for SAF, but its supply is limited, and it competes with other uses such as biodiesel, resulting in price and supply stability issues. In contrast, this research represents the first domestic demonstration of SAF production using abundant and low-cost landfill gas generated from food waste and livestock manure.

To produce aviation fuel from landfill gas, two major challenges must be addressed: ▲removal of impurities and pretreatment, and ▲high-efficiency reactions that convert gaseous fuel into liquid aviation fuel. The research team developed an integrated package that covers the entire process, from landfill gas pretreatment to syngas production and conversion into liquid fuel.

Intocore Technology received gas collected from a food waste landfill, removed sulfur compounds and excess carbon dioxide through a membrane-based pretreatment process, and then used a plasma reforming reactor to convert it into high-pressure syngas (CO·H₂) suitable for aviation fuel production. The resulting syngas was then delivered to the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology applied the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert the gaseous syngas into liquid fuel. By using zeolite- and cobalt-based catalysts, the team increased the selectivity for liquid fuel within the aviation fuel range to over 75%, instead of producing solid wax, which is common in conventional processes.

The Key Is the 'Microchannel Reactor'... Equipment Size Reduced to One-Tenth

The core technology of this demonstration is the microchannel reactor. During the aviation fuel synthesis process, excessive heat generation can lead to catalyst damage and runaway reactions. The research team adopted a structure with alternating layers of catalyst and coolant, enabling rapid removal of reaction heat.

This reactor, through integrated and modular design, reduced the equipment volume to as little as one-tenth of conventional systems, and allows for scalability by adding modules as production capacity increases.

Chemical Research Team. From the back row on the right, counterclockwise: Senior Researcher Seungjoo Han, Principal Researcher Yoonjo Lee, Senior Researcher Yangsik Yoon, Seonju Park, Yejin Ji, Jaejun Lim, Wonrok Hong, Researcher Hoseung Chae, Postdoctoral Researcher Jongkyung Kim. Courtesy of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology

The research team built an integrated process facility on the Daegu Dalseong-gun landfill site, occupying about 100 square meters (comparable to a two-story detached house), and confirmed continuous production of 100 kg of SAF per day. They are currently working on securing long-term operational stability and further enhancing the performance of catalysts and reactors.

This achievement demonstrates the conversion of everyday organic waste into high-value-added aviation fuel. It is evaluated as having established the technological foundation for expanding aviation fuel production from large-scale plants to local landfills and small-scale waste treatment facilities.

The research team stated, "It is significant that we have secured integrated process package technology for converting organic waste into high-value-added fuel." Lee Youngkuk, President of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, said, "This will grow into a representative technology that can simultaneously realize carbon neutrality and a circular economy."

The catalyst technology for liquid fuel selectivity developed during this research has been published in international academic journals, earning academic recognition as well. The team's paper, "Tailoring Zeolite-Supported Bifunctional Cobalt Catalysts for Direct Conversion of Syngas to Liquid Fuels," which covers the design of catalysts for direct conversion of syngas to liquid fuels, was featured as a cover article in the November 2025 issue of ACS Catalysis, an international journal in the field of catalysis.

Furthermore, the results of the "Comprehensive study of cobalt-based hybrid catalysts for selective liquid fuel production via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis" were published in the January 2026 issue of Fuel, an international journal in the field of fuel and energy. This research was supported by the "Carbon Resource Platform Compound Manufacturing Technology Development Project" of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.