Economic and Environmental Potential of Large-Scale Renewable Synthetic Jet Fuel Production through Integration into a Biomass CHP Plant in Sweden

The potential of bio-electro-jet fuel (BEJF) production with integration into an existing biomass-based combined heat and power (CHP) facility was investigated. The BEJF is produced via Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis from biogenic CO2 and H-2 obtained by water electrolysis. Techno-economic (TEA)- and life. cycle (LCA)- assessments were performed to evaluate the production cost and environmental impact of the BEJF production route. The BEJF mass fraction reached 40% of the total F-T crude produced. A reduction of 78% in heating demands was achieved through energy integration, leading to an increase in the thermal efficiency by up to 39%, based on the F-T crude. The total production cost of BEJF was in the range of EUR 1.6-2.5/liter (EUR 169-250/MWh). The GWP of the BEJF was estimated to be 19 g CO2-eq per MJ BEJF. The reduction potential in GWP in contrast to the fossil jet baseline fuel varied from 44% to more than 86%. The findings of this study underline the potential of BEJF as a resource-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally benign alternative for the aviation sector. The outcome is expected to be applicable to different geographical locations or industrial networks when the identified influencing factors are met.

Automated summary

The potential of integrating bio-electro-jet fuel (BEJF) production into existing biomass-based combined heat and power (CHP) facilities was investigated in this study. Techno-economic and life cycle assessments were performed to evaluate the production cost and environmental impact. The findings highlight the resource-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally benign nature of BEJF as an alternative for the aviation sector.