Velocys partnered with Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO) to demonstrate the complete production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from woody biomass. The biomass-to-SAF plant delivered a flight-ready SAF pathway and proved that modular Fischer-Tropsch technology (FT reactor) can transform regional biomass into certified jet fuel.
This integrated biomass-to-SAF demonstration plant is a major step toward commercial-scale waste-to-SAF deployment in Japan and beyond.
To support Japan’s aviation decarbonization goals and accelerate domestic SAF production, TOYO led a national consortium—including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, JERA, and JAXA—with support from NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).
The team set out to:
At the biomass-to-SAF plant in Japan, wood chips were gasified into syngas, which was purified and compressed before entering Velocys’ microchannel FT reactor. The microchannel reactor, powered by Oxford-engineered high-activity catalysts and precision heat control, synthesized the prized C5+ hydrocarbons. These were then distilled into neat SAF for certification and commercial flight testing.
| Total runtime | 1,543 hours |
| Uninterupted operation | 30 days |
| Flight-certified SAf produced | 2.366 liters |
| Location | Japan |
| Feedstock | Woody biomass |
| Commercial flight validation | First of its kind in Japan |
Modular FT systems are ready to scale
Compact, low-footprint microchannel FT reactor technology is ideal for remote or decentralized SAF production.
Full-chain integration matters
Seamless coordination between gasification, FT synthesis, and refining is essential for product consistency.
Regulatory success enables commercialization
ASTM certification opened the door to using SAF in regular commercial flights—critical for market acceptance.
First-of-its-kind in Japan: This was the country’s first integrated demonstration of SAF from woody biomass, showcasing real fuel in real flight.
Modular SAF production proved viable: The success demonstrated that small-to-medium scale SAF plants can be built near feedstock sources, reducing emissions from transport and enabling local energy independence.
Certified SAF, not just crude: Unlike many pilots that stop at FT crude, this project produced and certified 2,366 liters of ASTM D7566 Annex-1 SAF.
Pathway to commercialization: By proving stable operation and fuel quality, the demo removed a key barrier to future waste-to-SAF and biomass-to-SAF project development.
The project validated every link in the chain—from gasification to ASTM-certified SAF—and showed that modular, small-scale FT systems can play a big role in regional fuel security and global decarbonization.
The TOYO / NEDO project demonstrated that woody biomass in Japan could be converted into flight-certified sustainable aviation fuel through an integrated gasification-to-Fischer–Tropsch pathway. This matters for Asia because many countries have regional biomass resources but need proven technology pathways to convert them into aviation fuel rather than relying only on imported fuel or limited lipid-based feedstocks. The project produced SAF that met ASTM D7566 Annex 1 requirements and supported a commercial flight validation in Japan.
The project used woody biomass, including wood chips derived from forest byproducts. The biomass was gasified into synthesis gas, which was then purified, compressed and converted through Velocys Fischer–Tropsch technology into synthetic hydrocarbons for SAF production.
The project proved that a complete biomass-to-SAF pathway could operate reliably from gasification through FT synthesis and fuel certification. The demonstration achieved 1,543 total operating hours, 30 consecutive days of uninterrupted SAF production, more than 90% uptime during key performance periods and 2,366 liters of on-spec SAF approved for aviation use.
The project showed that small- to medium-scale SAF plants can be built closer to regional biomass sources, which is especially relevant in Asian markets with distributed forestry, agricultural and waste biomass resources. It also validated the importance of full-chain integration across gasification, FT synthesis and refining, which will be critical for future SAF projects seeking consistent product quality and certification.