Scientists at Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University) have developed a technology to produce environmentally friendly aviation fuel from lignocellulosic raw materials (by-products of agriculture and the food industry), which will help Russian aviation meet modern sustainability requirements.
To reduce its carbon footprint, Russia—as a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)—must comply with the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) program. Currently voluntary, the scheme will become mandatory from 2027, requiring airlines to offset any emissions increase above 2019 levels on international flights by purchasing or using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from biomass and renewable carbon. At present, such fuel is produced only by a few certified Western companies.
The technology developed at Gubkin University is based on a combination of fast pyrolysis, delayed coking, and hydrocracking processes. The feedstock is first pyrolyzed into a higher-energy-density bio-oil containing significant oxygen and bound water; the bio-oil is then co-coked with petroleum tar to partially remove oxygen; finally, the resulting diesel fraction undergoes deep hydrotreating in a hydrocracking unit. In addition to the target SAF, part of the renewable carbon is converted into diesel, gasoline, and bio-coke.
Professor Mikhail Ershov, Head of the Refining Technology Department at Gubkin University and project leader, noted that lignocellulosic waste is typically not professionally processed due to its low value. Converting it into fuel not only solves an aviation challenge but also represents an effective utilization method.
Tests have confirmed that the technology requires no fundamental retrofitting of existing refineries. Due to the high acidity of bio-oil, only minor equipment upgrades and the use of corrosion-resistant alloys in individual units are needed. Processing lignocellulosic feedstock through the pyrolysis–coking–hydrocracking chain yields jet fuel containing up to 12% bio-derived carbon.
Professor Ershov added that the next step is to increase the proportion of bio-carbon in the fuel. The team plans to study modification of bio-oil and its model compounds through preliminary depolymerization of carbohydrates and controlled oligomerization on carbon chains. The project is being carried out with support from the Russian Science Foundation.
