SAFFiRE Renewables Breaks Ground on Bioethanol Pilot Plant, Advancing Domestic SAF Production Goals

(Liberal, Kansas) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) shared in a press release posted on the department’s website yesterday that SAFFiRE Renewables officially broke ground on a bioethanol pilot plant – the products of which will ultimately be converted into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – at Conestoga Energy’s Arkalon Energy facility in Liberal, Kansas on August 28th.

Photo of the August 28th groundbreaking event at SAFFiRE Renewables and Conestoga Energy’s pilot plant in Kansas courtesy of biofuels trade association Growth Energy via Ethanol Producer Magazine.

The plant opening marks a step toward meeting the goals of the Biden-Harris administration’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge, which aims to produce 3 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030.

According to yesterday’s press release, SAFFiRE’s new facility will process 10 tons of corn stover daily, converting it into cellulosic ethanol that can be upgraded to SAF with a carbon footprint at least 83% lower than conventional jet fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) initially funded the project, with Southwest Airlinesmatching the investment.

BETO Director Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed commented: “This pilot plant shows that public–private investments can put steel in the ground for pioneering SAF facilities. It has been a pleasure to see DOE funding translate into industry milestones that directly support the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious SAF Grand Challenge, which aims to produce 3 billion gallons per year of SAF by 2030 and to decarbonize the aviation sector.”

SAFFiRE’s plant is expected to be completed by 4Q2025, with significant economic benefits anticipated for the Kansas economy, including the creation of 478 jobs and an economic impact of over $83 million during construction, per yesterday’s release.

With funding from BETO, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) patent-pending biorefining technology is critical to the SAFFiRE pilot plant, according to the press release. Known as deacetylation and mechanical refining, the NREL’s process uses a “gentle” alkaline bath and a mechanical shredder to prepare corn stover for ethanol fermentation, which ultimately boosts yields and lowers costs. The subsequent cellulosic ethanol can be upgraded into SAF at LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet facility in Georgia—another first-of-its- kind facility supported by BETO and Southwest Airlines.

At the groundbreaking event on August 28th, Tom Nealon, CEO of SaFFiRE Renewables and chairman of biofuels trade association Growth Energy said, per Ethanol Producer Magazine: “Today’s groundbreaking event marks a significant milestone for SAFFiRE Renewables. Our priority now is to complete the construction of our pilot plant, with a target of Q4 2025, and begin operations. We’re very fortunate to have great partners who are equally committed to the success of SAFFiRE, including Southwest Airlines, Conestoga Energy, LanzaJet, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the Department of Energy. There is still a lot of work to do, but we are prepared and excited for the path ahead.”