Velocys has successfully commissioned a Fischer–Tropsch syncrude production system at Sustainable Molecules’ (SuMo) Sustainable Molecules Facility (SMF) in Wednesbury, England. This allows SuMo's waste-derived syngas to be converted into the liquid hydrocarbon precursors needed to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The commission fits in with the UK’s rising demand for SAF solutions. “The commissioning of the FT system is a significant step forward — not just for SuMo and Velocys, but for the UK’s waste-to-SAF ambitions,” said Kamal Kalsi, Chief Executive Officer of SuMo. “Bringing together advanced gasification with Velocys’ FT technology gives us confidence in the pathway and its potential to deliver at scale.”

This early technical validation of the integrated waste-to-SAF pathway is a major step toward a full-scale demonstration. “This is a meaningful milestone for both teams,” said Matthew Viergutz, Chief Executive Officer of Velocys. “Seeing the system come online and operate as expected at a customer site reinforces the strength of our technology and the progress being made toward practical, deployable waste-to-fuels solutions.”

The FT syncrude demonstration is complementary to the wider ClearSkies project, which is separately funded by a £4.2 million (€4.8 million) award from the UK Department for Transport's Advanced Fuels Fund.

The ClearSkies project brings together technologies from SuMo, Velocys and other globally leading value chain partners with the capability to deliver waste-to-SAF production at SuMo's Sustainable Molecules Facility (SMF) in Wednesbury — integrating advanced gasification, FT synthesis, fuel upgrading, and carbon capture on a single site, a UK -first at this scale.

The ClearSkies project supports the UK's ambition to deliver the circular economy for the energy transition and develop domestic low-carbon gases, fuels and molecules including SAF, advance technology readiness, and position the nation as a leader in circular, low-carbon fuels.