By Koichi Kuranuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer
IHI Corp. has succeeded in synthesizing a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using carbon dioxide and hydrogen at a test facility in Singapore, according to officials of the company, which will now consider expanding its business related to the technology.
The Japanese company conducted the testing in collaboration with a research institute under Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Currently, used cooking oil is the primary feedstock for SAFs. However, the fuel is expected to be in short supply if demand grows. The situation has spurred development of technologies that produce SAFs through a synthesis of CO2 and hydrogen.
The test facility has achieved a daily production capacity of 5 kilograms of liquid hydrocarbons. An evaluation conducted at Washington State University in the United States concluded that IHI's sample fully met the standards required for operation in cold environments during flights.
The challenge lies in securing hydrogen feedstock and curbing production costs, which are currently estimated to be two to three times higher than those for SAFs made from used cooking oil.
IHI is engaged in research and development of thermal power generation facilities fueled by ammonia. Hydrogen for SAF production can be converted into ammonia for transportation. However, doing so will incur costs for both the long-distance transportation of the ammonia and its reconversion into hydrogen.
The company is therefore considering producing hydrogen overseas using electricity from renewable sources, like solar power, and establishing SAF production facilities nearby. Countries like Australia, where large-scale solar power generation is readily available, are seen as potential candidate locations.
Kentaro Sato and Shinya Okuno, who are in charge of technical development in this field at IHI, said that while research groups in South Korea and China are also moving forward with development, IHI's new SAF sample has been found to meet similar benchmarks to ones from those countries. IHI now aims to commercialize the technology by 2030, they said.
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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.
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March 10, 2026 06:01 ET (10:01 GMT)
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