Wedoany.com Report on Mar 11th, UK energy company Equilibrion and Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) have announced a collaboration to jointly assess the potential of using nuclear energy to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This partnership aims to explore solutions where Rolls-Royce SMR technology powers Equilibrion's Eq.flight system to address the decarbonization challenges of the aviation industry.
The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470-megawatt design based on a pressurized water reactor, capable of providing long-term stable power generation. Its modular construction method reduces project risks. Equilibrion states that the heat and electricity generated by this reactor are suitable for industrial processes, such as hydrogen and synthetic fuel production.
Eq.flight is a modular system developed by Equilibrion for the commercial-scale production of e-SAF (Power-to-Liquid SAF), which has low lifecycle emissions. With funding from the Department for Transport, Equilibrion aims to deliver a demonstration project in the UK before 2030 to validate the technical feasibility and economic viability. It is estimated that each Rolls-Royce SMR could produce over 160 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel annually, meeting approximately one-third of the UK's e-SAF target for 2040.
Aviation is one of the faster-growing sources of global greenhouse gas emissions, but current sustainable aviation fuel supply accounts for less than 1% of global demand. The UK plans for 22% of aviation fuel to be sustainable by 2040, requiring substantial low-carbon energy. Nuclear technology is considered advantageous for this purpose. Caroline Longman, Director of Equilibrion, said: "Nuclear-derived fuel production offers reliability, scalability, and low-carbon intensity. Each Eq.flight facility is expected to create around 10,000 local jobs over its lifecycle."
Simultaneously, a feasibility study on the large-scale production of nuclear-derived sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen in South West England has been completed. Conducted by Bristol Airport and Equilibrion with support from Q8Aviation and Exolum, the study indicates that small modular reactors could be deployed in the region to support the airport's transition to low emissions. The Eq.flight project has the potential to reduce emissions from Bristol Airport flights by 29% by 2035.
Hannah Pollard, Head of Sustainability at Bristol Airport, noted: "Nuclear-derived sustainable aviation fuel holds significant potential. The South West, with its nuclear heritage and available sites, is well-positioned to deploy small modular reactors." Dr. Phil Rogers, Director of Equilibrion, added that Eq.flight provides an opportunity to produce low-carbon fuel near its point of use, helping to advance the mission of aviation decarbonization.
