A novel integrated pathway for Jet Biofuel production from whole energy crops: A Jatropha curcas case study

The production of 'Jet Biofuel' has been identified as a promising strategy to mitigate the carbon footprint of the aviation sector. During the past decade, the commercial production of Jet Biofuel has attracted the attention of airline companies and governments across the globe. However, achieving a competitive production cost and sustainable Jet Biofuel remains a challenge. In this regard, various feedstocks have been tested for this purpose, where the vast majority have not complied with sustainability and feasibility expectations. Although not fully utilised in the Jet Biofuel industry, Jatropha curcas has emerged as one of the most promising feedstocks for Jet Biofuel production, since it is non-edible and is able to grow in non-arable lands with minimal water and energy requirements. This study presents a novel integrated pathway that utilises all parts of Jatropha fruit to produce a cost-effective Jet Biofuel using conventional hydroprocess, gasification, Fischer-Tropsch and reforming technologies. Different integration techniques are employed, including waste valorisation, by-products incorporation, as well as water, heat and power integration. The effect of various operating parameters on the products' characteristics and yields has been evaluated. The model is validated against literature experimental data and demonstrates promising results. Whereby, 49 wt% of Jatropha fruit is converted into liquid fuels, with a Jet Biofuel selectivity of 65%, which represents an increment of almost 88% of Jet Biofuel yield compared to processing Jatropha oil alone. Furthermore, the system developed is power and water self-sufficient. The proposed pathway significantly lowers the production cost of Jet Biofuel below the market price of conventional Jet-A fuel for the base year of analysis, achieving a minimum selling price of 0.445 $/kg.

Automated summary

The production of Jet Biofuel is seen as a promising strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector, but competitive production costs and sustainability remain challenging. Jatropha curcas has emerged as a promising feedstock for Jet Biofuel production due to its non-edible nature and ability to grow in non-arable lands. Through an integrated pathway, this study shows promising results in converting 49% of Jatropha fruit into liquid fuels with a Jet Biofuel selectivity of 65%, achieving a minimum selling price of 0.445 $/kg below the market price of conventional Jet-A fuel.