In a bold move signaling the future of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),
Haixin successfully restarted its
upgraded HVO/SAF plant after a nine-month expansion that
included a new isomerization unit. Located just a few kilometers from Rizhao Port, the revamped facility
— now capable of producing 150,000 tons of SAF per year — integrates Haixin’s proprietary
MCT/HSBH HEFA process,
promising lower operational costs and a tolerance for a wider range of feedstocks than conventional fixed-bed
hydrogenation methods.
But Haixin’s innovation is more than a refinery upgrade — it’s a potential game-changer for turning solid
agricultural residues into SAF . The company’s Research division reports that
next-generation Haixin catalysts will enable
solid waste conversion along this pathway, and certification for these new SAF variants is already underway.
The Global SAF Challenge
Rapidly Rising Demand
- Global SAF demand is projected to reach 17 million tonnes per year by 2030, accounting for roughly 4–5% of total jet fuel consumption.
Production Gap & Investment Needs
- To meet these targets, the world needs an additional ~15 Mt/year in capacity by 2030 — and rapid investment decisions are required before 2026.
- The estimated capital required ranges from US $19 billion to $45 billion, depending on technological choices (WEF 02.2025).
Eng Domenico Barone, Head of Trade at HXELabs, supervising the construction of the new plant
The Feedstock Bottleneck :
Producing 17 million tonnes of SAF per year by 2030 would require staggering amounts of raw material.
Current global availability of traditional waste oils and fats is far below that threshold.
In total, the sustainable pool of “conventional” lipids (UCO, tallow, yellow grease, POME, etc.) is not sufficient to cover the SAF demand expected by 2030.
The industry therefore faces a massive feedstock gap.
To close it, the focus must shift toward advanced pathways, such as:
- Agricultural residues (corn stover, wheat straw, rice husk, bagasse)
- Forestry residues (sawdust, bark, black liquor)
- Municipal solid waste & plastics
- Algae and synthetic e-fuels (green hydrogen + captured CO₂)
This is where MCT + HSBH process becomes strategic: its ability to handle low-grade, high-contaminant feedstocks opens
the door to agricultural residues and other non-lipid biomass — resources that are abundant but largely untapped.
Pathways to SAF: Where HAIXIN Fits
Today, several technological pathways to SAF are recognized and certified:
- HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids): the most mature and widely deployed pathway, relying mainly on waste oils and animal fats.
- FT (Fischer–Tropsch): gasifies biomass or waste to syngas, then converts it into liquid fuels.
- ATJ (Alcohol-to-Jet): converts ethanol or isobutanol into jet fuel.
- Power-to-Liquid / e-fuels: uses renewable electricity, green hydrogen, and CO₂ to synthesize hydrocarbons.
While HEFA dominates current supply, it is constrained by limited lipid feedstocks.
This is where Haixin’s MCT +
Suspended-Bed Catalytic Hydrogenation (HSBH) pathway stands out: it extends HEFA beyond oils and fats, allowing the
processing of low-grade lipids and even lignocellulosic biomass.
HAIXIN Pathway: MCT + HSBH
What It Solves :
Conventional fixed-bed HEFA hydrogenation is effective but has major limitations:
- Sensitive to impurities (metals, acidity, phospholipids)
- Narrow feedstock eligibility (UCO, tallow, soybean oil)
- Frequent reactor fouling and pressure drops
- Higher capex and shorter operational cycles
The Advantages of HAIXINs’ Approach :
- Processes low-quality and diverse feedstocks, including agricultural residues
- Extends operation cycles up to 24 months between maintenance
- Delivers higher yields and improved bio-oil quality
- Cuts investment costs by 20–25% compared to fixed bed plants
- Operates at lower temperatures than pyrolysis, avoiding coking and pressure issues
Dr. Linossier :
'The suspension bed hydrogenation technology is designed to process inferior heavy
oil.
Compared with the fixed bed hydrogenation technology, the suspension bed
catalyst selects a micron catalyst, and the catalyst after reaction can be recycled,
saving costs, and there is no problem of catalyst inactivation. Therefore, the
proportion of fresh feed can be adjusted to 70% when processing biofuel.
We have proven that
the oxygen content of the feed up to 9.5% (w), and the processing of acidified oil with a high
phospholipid content (71.44ppm P) did not adversely affect the reaction system and
the product.
This positions Haixin not merely as another SAF producer, but as a pathfinder for
next-generation pathways — potentially lowering costs and broadening feedstock supply at scale.'
Looking Ahead: Haixin’s Role in the SAF Ecosystem
- At 400,000 tons of SAF a year across its facilities — including 150,000 tons from Rizhao — Haixin is no small player. It is already shaping the global SAF landscape, proving that scalable, flexible, and low-cost technology is not just a concept but a reality.
- Closing the gap between supply and demand will require precisely this kind of innovation: feedstock-flexible, cost-efficient, and scalable pathways.
- If coupled with supportive policies — mandates, tax credits, long-term offtake agreements, and green bonds — Haixin’s technology could help unlock the $19–45 billion in investment needed to meet 2030 targets.
- More importantly, it supports the global climate agenda: enabling more waste-to-fuel conversion, reducing carbon intensity, and broadening the SAF feedstock pool.
More information :
HX ENERGY LABS.
