First UK Clearing House for Certifying New Sustainable Aviation Fuels to Launch at University of Sheffield

Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)Business News/Analysis certification Infrastructure Sustainability UK (United Kingdom)

April 04, 2023

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(University of Sheffield) UK’s SAF Clearing House will be led by the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield and will help remove the barriers to new fuels coming to market --

The University of Sheffield has been chosen to deliver the UK’s first Sustainable Aviation Fuel Clearing House - a central hub to coordinate the testing and certification of new sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)

UK’s SAF Clearing House will be led by the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield and will help remove the barriers to new fuels coming to market

Investment follows the University of Sheffield opening a world-class research centre dedicated to developing and testing new sustainable aviation fuels and involvement in the world’s first transatlantic net zero flight

Clearing House status and University of Sheffield’s R&D facilities are establishing South Yorkshire as the UK’s leading R&D hub for sustainable aviation fuels

The University of Sheffield has been chosen to be the home of the UK’s first Sustainable Aviation Fuel Clearing House, as part of new government investment to help decarbonise transport.

The Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield is set to deliver the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Clearing House - a central hub to coordinate the testing and certification of new sustainable aviation fuels.

Expected to open in summer 2023, the Clearing House will be based across the University’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) and Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) - two world-class research facilities unlike any other in the UK where academics and industry can work together to develop new low and zero-carbon fuels and technologies.

The SAF Clearing House is a major step in enabling the UK to bring new fuels to market and help reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry.

The investment in Sheffield - together with the two research facilities located in the University of Sheffield Innovation District on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham - is establishing South Yorkshire as the UK’s leading R&D hub for sustainable aviation fuels.

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, said: "We're thrilled to be able to announce the selection of the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield as the home of the UK SAF Clearing House. This significant and much-needed addition to the UK's decarbonisation landscape will help to reduce barriers to SAF delivery, and will take a vital step on the journey to make SAFs a viable solution for the future of aviation.

"With our world-class sustainable aviation fuels research and testing facilities at the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC), as well as the significant amount of sustainable power to liquid capabilities at the neighbouring Translational Energy Research Centre and the expertise within the Energy Institute, we are ideally placed to drive forward the much-needed development, testing and delivery of SAFs."

He added: "This news follows the recent announcement that we're taking part in the first net-zero transatlantic flight, a project with Virgin, and our partnership with Boeing. These projects, in combination with our cutting-edge equipment and international, regional and local connections, puts the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield at the centre of the emerging sustainable aerospace sector."

The UK SAF Clearing House, in partnership with Ricardo, is a major boost in connecting industrial capabilities with academic expertise, which will create the opportunity to make sustainable flight a reality, all on the path to a cleaner, decarbonised future. -- Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield

Any new aviation fuel must meet strict fuel specifications before it can be certified as safe for use in aircraft. To reach this, fuel must undergo stages of testing against a process to meet the required ASTM standard. The cost and complexity of testing is a significant barrier to new fuels entering the market.

The UK Clearing House at Sheffield will provide advice to fuel producers on testing, signpost toward testing facilities and facilitate the certification of new fuels, drawing on the expertise and equipment at the SAF-IC and TERC facilities.

SAF-IC is the first of its kind in the UK to capture CO2, produce green hydrogen, convert them into sustainable aviation fuels and analyse their performance and technical sustainability in one location. TERC is one of the largest and best-equipped zero-carbon energy, hydrogen, bioenergy, CCUS and sustainable aviation fuels research and development facilities in Europe.

Both facilities are in the University of Sheffield Innovation District, which also includes the University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) - hugely successful blueprints for academic-industry collaboration.

Professor Koen Lamberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "The University is a leader in net zero innovation, and the world-class translational research facilities at the University of Sheffield Innovation District’s growing green energy cluster will play a critical role in finding solutions to the greatest challenges facing society today.

"The announcement that our Energy Institute has been chosen as the home of the UK SAF Clearing House recognises our research strengths in this important area, and is another example of how we are working with government and industry to pioneer the green technologies needed to decarbonise the aviation sector and meet net zero targets." READ MORE

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University of Sheffield to be biggest green hydrogen producer and drive development of sustainable aviation fuels (University of Sheffield)
UK clearinghouse for sustainable aviation fuels officially launches (University of Scheffield/Biobased Diesel Daily)

Excerpt from University of Sheffield: The University of Sheffield is set to produce more green hydrogen than any other UK research centre, thanks to new equipment that will support vital research to help decarbonise the aviation industry.

The University of Sheffield is set to produce more green hydrogen than any other UK research centre to support vital research into new sustainable aviation fuels
Sheffield has installed a new hydrogen electrolyser - technology that produces hydrogen - to enable its researchers to work with industry to produce, develop and test new hydrogen fuels
Equipment is based in the University’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) - the first R&D centre in the UK to develop, test, validate and help certify new fuels all in one place
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are crucial to reducing global carbon emissions and hydrogen is seen as a key fuel in reaching net zero
Electrolyser will also be used to help other industries switch fuels and decarbonise

The University of Sheffield is set to produce more green hydrogen than any other UK research centre, thanks to new equipment that will support vital research to help decarbonise the aviation industry.

Sheffield’s Energy Institute is installing a new hydrogen electrolyser - technology that produces hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The equipment will be used in research to develop and test new hydrogen-based sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).

The electrolyser, from IMI Remosa under the new brand IMI VIVO, is being installed in the University’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) - the UK’s first R&D facility that is able to develop, test, validate and help certify new fuels all in one location. The facility, along with the new electrolyser, gives the UK much-needed R&D capabilities in SAFs and can play a major role in helping reduce the environmental impact of air travel.

SAFs are seen as a vital step in reducing global carbon emissions. The aviation industry is responsible for around seven per cent of total carbon emissions in the UK alone and this number is growing fast.

However, aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels makes it a challenging sector to decarbonise and new fuels are subject to strict standards and regulations before they can be approved for use.

Researchers from Sheffield will work with partners in the aviation industry to develop new hydrogen and CO2-based fuels that meet these strict standards. They will also work with other industries across the UK to help them switch fuels and decarbonise.

With the new electrolyser, the University is capable of producing nearly 140Nm3 per hour of green hydrogen with storage capacity of 1450Nm3 - equivalent to the electricity required to power 200 homes.

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Director of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute, said: “In order to drive forward a decarbonised future, we must understand more about the possibilities and capabilities of green hydrogen, particularly with regards to sustainable aviation fuels. With this new electrolyser at our SAF-IC facility, we can work with industry and fellow academics to discover and demonstrate the best way to make a hydrogen economy, and a greener future, a reality.

“We are thrilled to have the capacity to produce the green hydrogen in our site, so that our research and development into SAFs ( especially via Power-To-SAF), industrial fuel switching and decarbonisation can continue.

“We’re also pleased to work with IMI VIVO on this project, and we are now having discussions with the team that could lead to future international collaborations and projects.”

The SAF-IC facility is based in the University of Sheffield Innovation District - land on the outskirts of Sheffield that is home to some of the University’s world-leading translational research centres that are driving economic growth, investment and creating jobs in the South Yorkshire region.

The University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) - a hugely successful academic and industry R&D facility - recently announced one of the North of England’s biggest ever research projects as part of the UK government’s first investment zone in South Yorkshire. The project will develop new ways to manufacture lightweight aircraft components, another step in reducing the environmental impact of aviation.

The University is also part of a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic that is set to lead the world’s first 100 per cent SAF transatlantic flight, which is scheduled to fly later this year (28 November 2023).

Through the University of Sheffield’s research facilities, South Yorkshire is fast becoming the UK’s leading hub for sustainable aviation R&D.

The equipment that has been installed at the University is a PEM-based green hydrogen electrolyser from IMI Remosa under the new brand IMI VIVO.

Giuseppe Buscemi, President, IMI Critical Engineering Europe, said: “The aviation industry is responsible for around seven per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions and this figure continues to rise. Developing new fuels and solutions will therefore be essential to reversing this trend and decarbonising the sector.

“We are proud that the IMI VIVO electrolyser will prove vital to upgrading the University of Sheffield’s research and development capabilities, helping break the aviation industry’s reliance on fossil fuels. We expect this technology, both here and in other applications, to play a pivotal role in reducing emissions across multiple sectors as part of our commitment to providing breakthrough engineering for a better world.” READ MORE

Excerpt from University of Scheffield/Biobased Diesel Daily: The UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) clearinghouse has officially launched, marking a major step in enabling the U.K. to bring new fuels to market and help reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry.

Led by the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, and supported by engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo plc, the U.K. SAF clearinghouse is now accepting applications from fuel producers for technical support and funding towards the development, testing and qualification of SAF.

Any new aviation fuel must meet strict performance standards before it can be qualified as safe for use in aircraft.

To achieve this, fuel must undergo stages of testing in accordance with industry-recognized standards.

The cost and complexity of testing can be a significant barrier to new fuels entering the market.

Photo: The University of Sheffield

The U.K. SAF clearinghouse will provide advice to fuel producers on testing, signpost towards testing facilities and support the qualification of SAF to help overcome this barrier.

The U.K. SAF clearinghouse provides support for the development, testing, qualification and production of SAF, and it will play a key role in the government’s ambition to build a thriving U.K. SAF production industry.

“It is great to see there is now a lot of activity in the development of SAF, however the increase in a diverse range of raw materials and processes means a major shift in the industry, which is both an opportunity to reduce aviation emissions and presents a challenge to get these increasingly diverse SAF products to market,” said Chris Lewis, the clearinghouse director and professor with the University of Sheffield. “The U.K. SAF clearinghouse, in cooperation with the EU and US clearinghouses, will provide technical advice and information, funding to support with testing, and help in understanding how the industry works, as well as helping producers engage with the industry in a positive way. We are delighted to announce we are open for business, so please do come and talk to us.”

Natasha Robinson, the deputy director of low-carbon fuels with the U.K.’s transportation department, said, “The U.K. wants to be an international leader in the transition to SAF, which is a crucial element of the U.K. aviation industry’s decarbonization ambitions. The U.K. SAF clearinghouse will accelerate the testing of fuels by streamlining the process in order to help companies get the qualification for use they need. The U.K. SAF clearinghouse will reduce the bottleneck in testing, ensuring a greater availability of SAF from a diverse range of feedstocks, which will enable the U.K. to achieve its target of 10 percent SAF by 2030 and will also help with creation of new jobs and skills in this innovative green sector.”

Anthony Browne, the minister for aviation and decarbonization of transport, added, “As the U.K. SAF industry goes from strength to strength, it’s important it also has the capabilities to test the fuel being made, making the transition from the labs to the sky faster and easier than ever before. Funded by the U.K. government, the SAF clearinghouse at the University of Sheffield is making greener flying a global reality, accelerating crucial testing, removing barriers for overseas investment and keeping the U.K. at the center of the global SAF industry.”

Sujith Kollamthodi, Ricardo’s director of policy, strategy and economics, said, “The new U.K. SAF clearinghouse is a step in the right direction towards a leaner and greener aviation sector in the U.K. It joins other U.K. government initiatives for the sector alongside the Advanced Fuels Fund, plans for a revenue-certainty scheme for SAF and backing for the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100 percent SAF. We are proud that Ricardo experts are applying their renowned expertise in policy, strategy and the safe implementation of new sustainable technologies to this world-leading initiative that can accelerate the decarbonization of the global aviation industry.”

For key clients including fuel producers, aerospace original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs), airlines and airports, the U.K. SAF clearinghouse is a free-at-the-point-of-use service that will support fuel producers. It will work in collaboration with other international clearinghouses and coordinate a program of fuel qualification with the support of OEMs.

Now officially open to applications, the U.K. SAF clearinghouse is calling for any stakeholders—primarily fuel producers—to reach out with inquiries related to the development, testing and qualification of sustainable aviation fuels. READ MORE