Advocating for Public Policies to Promote the Development & Production of Alternative Fuels, Renewable Chemicals, Biobased Products, and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition
Track 2 Session Details
AFCC Conference Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions are 90 minutes, each one has one moderator with a maximum of four to five speakers.
Breakout sessions will be focused on the following five subject areas:
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Track 2: Sustainable Feedstocks, Biofuels, Food and Feed Products Driving Decarbonization
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Track 4: Synthetic Biology, Alternative Proteins, Regenerative Agriculture, Food & Fiber, Biofuels
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Track 5: Building the Biobased Economy Supply Chain
Track 2 Breakout Session Details​
Sustainable Feedstocks, Biofuels, Food and Feed Products Driving Decarbonization
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This Track is Sponsored by:​
Monday, November 13, 2023
All sessions for this Track will be held in Baltimore 2
Session 1: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM: Process Development Requirements for Scaling SAF
Moderator: Chris Tindal, Assistant Director, Commercial Aviation Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
Speakers:
Airlines and producers must understand what feedstock is being used and whether it is sustainable. SAF manufacturers strive to use renewable electricity, renewable natural gas or green hydrogen, looking at logistics, and carbon capture. Total cost of production needs to be economically sustainable. In this session the panelists will provide their approaches to produce low-carbon jet fuel supporting decarbonization.
Ira Dassa, Regulatory Counsel, Twelve Benefit Corporation
SAF Production Pathway Using Biogenic CO2 as the Primary Feedstock
Aviation accounts for approximately 3% of global GHG emissions, and in the race to shift economies away from fossil fuels, aviation faces unique challenges. While batteries and electric aircraft can work for short-haul flights, long-haul flights over three hours require a higher density energy source than batteries can provide. This significantly impacts the industry’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We need solutions that are cost-effective, easily scalable, and drop-in ready. Twelve is on a mission to create a fossil-free future by making materials and fuels from air, not oil. Using our groundbreaking carbon transformation technology, Twelve turns CO2, water, and renewable electricity into the building blocks for thousands of products, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Starting with biogenic CO2, we use low-temperature CO2 electrolysis together with H2O electrolysis & FT synthesis to produce SAF that meets the specifications under Annex A1 of ASTM D7566. Lifecycle analysis shows a GHG emissions reduction on the order of 90% versus conventional jet fuel. This pathway, which falls under the so-called power-to-liquids umbrella, has distinct advantages. Again, the final product meets the specifications of Annex A1 of ASTM D7566 and so is drop-in ready once blended with conventional jet fuel at a 50% blend rate, meaning no modifications are needed to existing engines, fuel tanks, or airport fueling infrastructure. The primary feedstock, CO2, is available in abundance, and the technology can be scaled-up vertically at a fast rate in a modular format with minimal land/infrastructure impact.
Darren Fuller, Chief Commercial Officer, Alder Renewables
Public Policy Must Evolve to Meet the Potential of the Renewable Fuels Sector
Darren Fuller, a leader in the commercial and private aviation field, and CCO of Alder–which operates at the vanguard of renewable fuel production–will detail what policymakers and regulators must be thinking about in order to decarbonize critical aspects of our society. Specifically, he will reference what needs to change in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in order to create a thriving marketplace for sustainable biomass and the second-generation feedstocks that will power the transition from fossil-based products to low-carbon alternatives. In addition, he will reference Alder's proprietary technology and its proven production of 100% biogenic, non-fossil sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as the scalability of Alder's foundational Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) platform, a crude oil replacement that can be carbon-neutral to carbon-negative depending on the feedstock deployed. These renewable products are emblematic of the need for deep public-private partnership, as Alder has moved from test tubes in the national labs ecosystem, to technological derisking with Honeywell UOP, and now rapid commercialization. At a high-level, Tim will pull back the curtain on this process, and the critical need for government programs and targeted supports to fast-track the clean energy transition. Alder is backed by Honeywell UOP, United Airlines Ventures, Directional Aviation, and Avfuel. Its technology has been validated by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Honeywell UOP with support by the U.S. Defense and Logistics Agency.
John Hannon, COO, Vertimass
Process Development Requirements for Scaling SAF
John R. Hannon is Chief Operating Officer for Vertimass LLC. His expertise is in renewable fuel scale-up, process economics, technical due diligence for investments, and identification of critical opportunities for improvements. John focuses on supporting Vertimass' goal to commercialize their novel Consolidated Alcohol Deoxygenation and Oligomerization (CADO) technology, highlighted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that offers one of the lowest cost routes to renewable gasoline, SAF, LPG and green chemicals. This technology overcomes obstacles that limit ethanol use in gasoline for light duty vehicles and open up new ethanol markets for aircraft and heavy-duty vehicles. Vertimass plans to partner with ethanol producers to integrate this technology as rapidly as possible to overcome the blend wall and support the Biden Administration’s SAF Grand challenge to produce three billion gallons of SAF by 2030, and 35 billion gallons SAF by 2050.
Steven Slome, Principal, NexantECA
Aviation’s Flight Plan to Net Zero: A Refined Approach to Soaring Above the SAF Blend Wall
As governments and industries begin to face up to the hard work of making good on their net zero emission commitments, the scale of the technical challenge posed by real world decarbonization has become more and more apparent. Aviation is one of the sectors where the rockiness of the road from current reliance on fossil fuels and a decarbonized future is particularly evident, with fewer viable routes than is the case for other transport sectors. SAF that is currently being produced will not be able to go more than halfway towards decarbonizing aviation, given the fact that its paraffinic composition means that it cannot be blended with refinery jet fuel at concentrations of higher than 50 percent. NexantECA outlines what it sees as potential ways to use existing refinery assets to produce low carbon blendstocks to complement paraffinic SAF, allowing the creation of truly “drop-in” low carbon jet fuel that can more easily support net zero ambitions--with potential benefits and upsides to surpassing other blendwalls as a result.
​​​Session 2: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM: Innovations in MSW Management at Landfills
Moderator: Patrick Serfass, Executive Director, American Biogas Council
Speakers:
Pressure is mounting on municipalities and landfills to reduce carbon emissions and make better use of the resources in our garbage. In response, technologies and industries are developing to make better use of the materials in our municipal solid waste (MSW), creating new fuels and enhancing the production of others to create additional revenue for landfills. Join us to learn more about what can happen if you can pull nearly all the organics out of an MSW stream and what that means for recovering more plastics for RDF, more aluminum, and other materials that would otherwise be too contaminated for beneficial use.
​​​Session 3: 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM: Technology Readiness and Scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)
Moderator: Zia Haq, Senior Lead Analyst, DOE, BETO
Speakers:
The SAF producers will discuss their technology readiness and what will it take to help SAF scale to the point where it will be competitive with conventional jet fuel. These producers are on their way to showing viability, but will need to have low-carbon policy to boost the demand, lower the cost, and establish confidence in renewable fuels.
Marc Delcourt, CEO, Global Bioenergies
Global Bioenergies’ Technology
Global Bioenergies’ technology allows to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and recently obtained ASTM-certification allowing use in any commercial aircraft worldwide. The technology also allows the production of green ingredients for cosmetics, a niche market that will allow the company to scale its process up.
Marcella Franchi, Senior Vice President, Haffner Energy, North America
Haffner’s Solution for SAF
Haffner Energy’s solution for SAF production from biomass The existential threat posed by the impact of global warming calls for the collective reduction of our net greenhouse gas emissions, pioneering green energy production technologies, and the transition to a climate-neutral economy. Haffner Energy, a listed French company, developed and deploys technologies for the generation of clean fuels and renewable gases. SAFnoca is our new technology based on the thermolysis of residual biomass or organic waste, for the sustainable production of SAF. This technology, coupled with a Fischer-Tropsch and a refinery will produce bio-SAF in line with the SAF grand challenge guidelines. SAFnoca brings many advantages: 1. The solution is ready to be deployed 2. SAFnoca qualifies for the maximum IRA incentive for SAF production 3. The solution is agnostic to biomass/organic waste type, making it flexible 4. The technology stimulates local circular economy and job creation. 5. Operation is autonomous and self-sufficient, relying little on electricity. The process can be operated over 8000 hours per year as it is not dependent on renewable electricity production, unless an electrolyser is added to boost production Haffner Energy’s game-changing solutions support the transition to sustainable energy consumption with ready-to-deploy technology that not only provides clean energy but also decarbonizes.
​​​Session 4: 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM : Using Forest Feedstock under the Renewable Fuel Standard to Mitigate Catastrophic Wildfires, Improve Forest Health, and Energize the Economy
Moderator: Paul Schubert, CEO, Strategic Biofuels
Speakers:
Byron Bunker
Director Compliance
EPA, Office Transportation & Air Quality
National Program Manager – Wood Innovations: Bioenergy, Biofuels, and Bioproducts
USDA Forest Service
Hazardous fuels are excess renewable forestry materials that can increase the severity of fire. Federal and non-federal forests have an excess of hazardous fuels that can be better used in the production of high value biobased products such as sustainable aviation fuels, renewable diesel, cellulosic fuels for ground transportation, and renewable chemicals for biomaterials. A group of leading experts from USDA Forest Service (FS), EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), and DOE, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), and the American Loggers Council will provide insights on how their respective organizations are tackling issues to accelerate hazardous fuels reduction for the production of SAF Grand Challenge, alternative fuels, and renewable chemicals.
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Byron Bunker, Director Compliance, EPA, Office Transportation & Air Quality
Areas at Risk from Wildfire
Section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act defines the kinds of renewable biomass which are eligible to produce fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) program including slash and precommercial thinning from non-federal forestlands, trees and tree residues from tree plantations, and “Biomass obtained from the immediate vicinity of buildings and other areas regularly occupied by people, or of public infrastructure, at risk from wildfire.” EPA implemented this last part of the definition giving meaning to the terms “areas at risk from wildfire” with regulatory language that states, areas at risk of wildfire are those areas in the “wildland-urban interface”, where humans and their development meet or intermix with wildland fuel. Likewise, EPA gave meaning to “immediate vicinity” by limiting biomass removed to that obtained within 200 feet of buildings and other areas regularly occupied by people, or of public infrastructure. EPA’s presentation will discuss implementation of these provisions to date and ideas for how these provisions might be used in the future.
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Scott Dane, Executive Director, American Loggers Council
Understanding the True Cost of Biomass Feedstock
Scott Dane is the Executive Director of the American Loggers Council, a nonprofit trade association comprised of 30 timber industry state associations representing nearly 10,000 companies and 50,000 employees. He is a member of the Presidents Export Council representing the timber and forest products industry.
All too often biomass is an assumed byproduct of primary forest management operations with little to no cost or value. As a result, the biomass infrastructure within the logging sector is a small subset of the industry. This is due to the high capital investment in specialized equipment, limited markets, and minimal profit margins. Data will be presented that addresses these costs and price structure, along with real time production and transportation costs to frame the actual costs and subsequent price model necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable biomass supply chain.
Biomass, biofuels, biochemicals and bioproducts have the greatest potential to transition the timber and forest products industries into renewable forest-based feedstock markets that can support renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions, displace fossil fuel consumption, address hazardous fuels which contribute to wildfires, and improve forest health. However, two issues need to be recognized, addressed, and resolved to ensure the development and success of new forest-based biomass feedstock enterprises. First, the biomass supply chain must be recognized as a value-added component of the “stump to pump” process and the cost of investment, acquisition, production, and transportation factored in for long-term sustainability. Second, the U.S. is the only developed country in the world to not recognize and embrace the carbon neutral and renewable aspects of forest-based biomass.
The U.S. demonstrably has the biomass resource and the ability to process and convert the domestic feedstock into globally recognized renewable carbon neutral feedstock products. However, exporting biomass and wood pellets halfway around the world is highly questionable. The U.S. policy needs to match the accepted global science, properly interpret the RFS, and support domestic bioeconomy market development.
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David Neumann, Forest Products Business Consultant, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
State Foresters in Diverse Markets for Forest Products
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) believes functioning and diverse markets for forest products are critical to maintaining the health and sustainability of both private and publicly owned forests. They enable the science-based and sustainable management of forestland that ensures those forests continue to provide the economic, environmental, and social benefits that are essential to society.
Biofuels production derived from woody biomass feedstocks could provide a much-needed market for small-diameter trees and other low-value forest products across the country. The current absence of these markets prevents treatments for wildfire resilience on federal lands and disincentivizes private landowners from keeping forests as forests. However, current RFS feedstock eligibility criteria are overly restrictive, confusing and induce uncertainty, and we have not seen woody biomass play the sizeable role in RFS implementation that was expected upon passage of the legislation over 15 years ago. As such the RFS has yet to achieve its potential in supporting healthy forests, both public and private. We see an opportunity for EPA to develop RFS biomass policy that is complimentary to the agency’s public policies acknowledging the benefits of biomass.
NASF views the RFS as a powerful but underdeveloped tool to support science-based sustainable forest management and the growth of forest products markets for biomass, which in turn helps our nation’s forests remain healthy and intact and better suited to help EPA meet its mandates for clean air and water, and safe communities.
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF)
NASF represents the directors of the forestry agencies in all 50 states, five U.S. territories, three nations in compacts of free association with the U.S., and the District of Columbia. Our members assist in the management and protection of state and privately-owned forests and are frequent cooperators in the management and protection of federal-owned lands. NASF and our members are key partners of the USDA Forest Service and EPA, and work together on many policy and management initiatives that benefit the forests of our nation including supporting market development through policy tools such as the RFS.
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Valerie Sarisky-Reed, Director, DOE, Bioenergy Technologies Office
Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector
The US government approach to decarbonizing the transportation sector depends on biofuels, particularly for hard to electrify areas such as aviation, marine, rail and heavy-duty application. Biomass is a diverse feedstock ranging from waste gases to woody biomass, including forest residues. DOE focuses research, development, and demonstration efforts on this wide variety of feedstocks to optimize conversion pathways to meet the aggressive goals set out in the National Transportation Blueprint. A discussion of these pathways and progress will be presented.
Julie Tucker, National Program Manager – Wood Innovations: Bioenergy, Biofuels, and Bioproducts, USDA Forest Service
The Wood Innovations Program of the U.S. Forest Service
Biofuels companies must determine in early project development stages whether the planned forestry feedstock will ultimately be eligible under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The U.S. Forest Service has been working with Strategic Biofuels under a cooperative agreement to take the guesswork out it by developing a practical guide for biofuels developers. This guide is based on input from the Environmental Protection Agency, forestry professionals, feedstock certification experts, and other diverse stakeholders.
Julie Tucker, an environmental engineer and attorney, is a National Program Manager for the Wood Innovations program of the U.S. Forest Service with decades of innovating across private and public sectors. She has more than 18 years of renewable wood energy experience. Julie will present key forestry feedstock eligibility criteria from the practical guide
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
All sessions for this Track will be held in Baltimore 2
Session 5: 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM: What Does Sustainability Mean to Airlines, Producers, and Government?
The panel will discuss their sustainability goals and realistic path to net-zero emissions. There is literature showing that airlines can eliminate nearly 70% of aviation emissions by 2050, and this is largely by improving fuel efficiency and using sustainable aviation fuels. But will they get to zero emissions by 2050? Not only improving fuel efficiency is a good way to reduce greenhouse gases, but reducing weight on the airline, and reducing single-use plastics are other ways. Sustainable aviation aims to reduce aviation’s contributions to climate change through new practices and radical innovation which are cost efficient. The leaders in sustainability from their respective airlines, producers, and government will discuss their strategies for decarbonization.
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Kate Geldaker, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Alaska Airlines
Enabling Domestic SAF Production to Meet National Decarbonization Goals
Alaska Airlines is the 5th largest airline in the United States and with over 90 years of service Alaska Airlines is focused on managing our business thoughtfully for the long-haul. The U.S. government in partnership with industry has set an ambitious goal of producing enough domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet 100% of aviation fuel demand by 2050 and a near-term goal of 3 billion gallons per year by 2030. Alaska Airlines is aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and, along with our oneworld partners, have 10% of our fuel usage attributed to SAF by 2030. Airlines like Alaska Airlines are investing in SAF as a decarbonization strategy; but today, there is not enough SAF at a volume and price that is necessary to support the airline industry’s operational needs and climate goals. Kate will discuss the challenges to scaling and maturing the market for SAF, the need for public policy at the state and federal level to support this transition, and the importance of partnerships between airlines, SAF producers, corporate flyers and stakeholders. Alaska Airlines is all about care – and that includes care for the over 120 places where we live and fly, and the planet we share.
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Kennedy Ricci, President, 4AIR
Supporting the SAF Supply Chain and Regulatory Compliance Post-Blending
As new feedstocks for SAF emerge with varying blending ratios and differing carbon reductions, documenting SAF through the supply chain is critical for end users to accurately report their carbon reductions, and leverage (as well as comply with) emerging local and national SAF incentives. Kennedy will speak towards the challenges and processes for accurately documenting fuel, preserving economic value for end users, and how to balance transparency with confidentiality and commercial sensitivity.
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Mark Rumizen, Director Regulatory Affairs and Quality, Air Company Holdings, Inc
ASTM Qualification of Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuels (SATF)
The aviation fuel industry, with support from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, has established a process to enable the use of Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuels (SATF) on commercial aircraft after completion of a rigorous and comprehensive review process and issuance of an ASTM specification annex. This presentation will describe this process and the key challenges that are now emerging as the aviation industry seeks to scale up production and availability of these fuels.
Session 6: 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM: 2G Biofuels Production - Cleaner Processes and Partnerships
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John Doyle,Chief Technology Officer, Verde Clean Fuels, Inc
The Case for Renewable Gasoline
There are many efforts underway to provide renewable liquid fuels to decarbonize the heavy trucking, aviation, and marine transportation sectors. However, when it comes to light duty cars and trucks, there is an assumption that there is no need to decarbonize gasoline because electric vehicles solve that problem. While EVs certainly have their advantages, and offer a viable solution, they also have their limitations. Gasoline represents the largest transportation fuel market segment and there needs to be multiple viable solutions to fully decarbonize. This presentation will provide an overview of Verde’s renewable gasoline technology and Verde’s first commercial renewable gasoline project currently under development. It will compare the performance of Verde’s gasoline that of an EV and show why a multiple solution approach is the quickest, most complete way to decarbonize.
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Berit Foss, Director of Sustainability, POET, LLC
Sun, Soil & Seed: Cultivating the Road to Zero-Carbon Biofuels & Bioproducts
POET’s vision is to create a world in sync with nature. As the world’s largest producer of biofuels and a global leader in sustainable bioproducts, POET creates plant-based alternatives to fossil fuels that utilize the power of agriculture and cultivate opportunities for America’s farm families. Renewable fuels, such as bioethanol, significantly reduce lifecycle carbon emissions relative to fossil fuels and are a key pathway to achieving decarbonization of transportation. Bioethanol can achieve net-zero, or even net-negative, lifecycle emissions by employing technologies and methods such as carbon capture, climate-smart farming, and using renewable power or process energy and biomass for process heat at bioethanol plants. Renewable fuels will be particularly critical in decarbonizing internal combustion engines in light-duty vehicles that will remain on the road for at least the next several decades.
Clemens Heikaus, Global Director of Future Fuels, Biomass, Novozymes
The Journey to a Healthy Planet, The Collaboration Between Biology, Process, and Feedstock
The path to commercialization to date in the 2nd Generation Industry has been a journey. Success driven by customizing biology with process and feedstock to make a viable economic platform. The journey is in the early stage and there is work to be done, but we have seen signals of success and look forward to sharing the most recent success and our vison of the future.
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Ralf Hortsch, Head of Strategy & Marketing, Biofuels & Derivatives, Clariant
Sustainable Mobility with Clariant’s Sunliquid® Technology
Sustainable mobility with Clariant’s sunliquid® technology: First commercial sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari, Romania In today’s growing efforts to limit global warming, action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the transport sector, is inevitable. Cellulosic ethanol, an advanced biofuel, presents a low-emission, carbon-neutral solution. In many countries around the world legislation already recognizes advanced biofuels to play an important role in decarbonizing the transport sector. Clariant’s sunliquid® process is a highly innovative and sustainable technology to produce cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues such as cereal straw, corn stover, or sugarcane bagasse. The cellulosic ethanol produced can be used as a drop-in solution for fuel blending and offers further downstream application opportunities into sustainable aviation fuel and bio-based chemicals. Since 2012, Clariant has been operating its pre-commercial sunliquid® plant in Straubing, Germany and has started production at its first full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in southwestern Romania in June 2022. The flagship plant will process approx. 250,000 tons of straw to produce approx. 50,000 tons of cellulosic ethanol per annum and represents an important step for the commercial deployment of the sunliquid® technology, supporting Clariant’s licensing business strategy. The bioethanol produced by the sunliquid® technology process helps decarbonize the transport sector by providing up to 95% CO2 savings compared to fossil fuel, and by as much as 120% if carbon capture is considered and used as part of the production process.
Shrikant Rathi, Executive Director, Praj Americas, Inc.
Sustainable Feedstocks, Biofuels, Driving Decarbonization
In response to the need to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world has turned its attention to decarbonization strategies. Praj Industries presents a comprehensive paper that delves into the critical role of sustainable feedstocks and biofuels in driving these efforts. It starts by emphasizing the utmost importance of selecting feedstocks with minimal environmental impact. Praj Industries recognizes the significance of responsible feedstock sourcing, aligned with sustainability principles and contributing to overall carbon reduction goals. Their commitment lies in sourcing feedstocks from renewable sources like agricultural and forest residues, as well as energy crops grown on marginal lands. Advancements in biofuel production technologies are at the core of the paper. Praj Industries explores various innovative processes enabling efficient conversion of sustainable feedstocks into high-quality biofuels, encompassing bioethanol, biodiesel, and advanced biofuels. Their expertise in integrated biorefineries and process optimization is highlighted. The paper showcases the environmental benefits of biofuels, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, and the potential for carbon neutrality. Beyond decarbonization, biofuels play a pivotal role in promoting energy security, rural development, and job creation. Looking towards the future, the paper emphasizes the importance of continued research, policy support, and industry collaboration to drive further innovation and deployment. Praj Industries stands committed to playing a leading role in advancing sustainable feedstocks and biofuels, contributing significantly to achieving a cleaner, low-carbon future on a global scale.