Biofuel and biochemicals company New Energy Blue announced the launch of biochemical subsidiary New Energy Chemicals to expand operations at its Port Lavaca, Texas, facility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and bio-based ethylene.
The company said the move positions New Energy Blue to capitalise on the booming global SAF market, fuelled by initiatives like the ReFuelEU Aviation in Europe and the US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. The US initiative aims for an ambitious 3bn gallons of annual SAF production by 2030.
“The growing demand for carbon-reduced fuels has ignited a $400bn SAF market opportunity,” said Albury Fleitas, president of New Energy Blue. “This is just the beginning. We’re already forging partnerships across the globe to achieve large-scale decarbonisation.”
The company said that its advantage lies in its low-carbon bio-ethylene production process. The company claims its lifecycle analysis shows a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional methods using sugarcane ethanol.
Additionally, the Texas facility’s access to deep water shipping allows them to easily serve the European market.
Beyond the initial Texas expansion, New Energy Blue plans to license its platform globally.
Their ultimate vision is a network of 500 biomass refineries across the US corn belt, harnessing agricultural waste to create a staggering 20bn gallons of low-carbon ethanol annually.
