Sustainable aviation fuel from sugarcane residues

Project Swift proposes to develop a biorefinery in the Bundaberg region of Queensland, with a focus on the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market. Utilising Licella’s innovative Australian-developed Cat-HTR™ hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology, the facility would transform agricultural by-products to Low Carbon Liquid Fuels (LCLF). Once complete, the proposed biorefinery could produce ~40 million litres of SAF each year, ~7% of the domestic airline industry’s 2030 SAF target. The facility has the potential to create hundreds of regional jobs and would provide a new and growing market for Queensland’s sugar industry to participate in.

Project Swift overview

We are committed to inclusive project development that benefits the local community. Guided by our values of sustainability, innovation and respect, we are prioritising meaningful engagement, including with First Nations people.

Project phase: Feasibility Study – Pre-FEED, advancing to FEED (Front End Engineering Design)
Bundaberg region, Queensland
Feedstock: Agricultural residues (including bagasse) (150,000 tonnes/ year)
Capacity (annual): 56,000 tonnes bio-intermediate
~60 million litres biofuels (~40 million litres SAF)
Supporting regional development and the local sugar industry. Potential for ~300 construction jobs and 100 new jobs during operations
Proudly delivering alongside our strategic partners including Shell, and with funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program

Fact sheet

The biorefinery’s two-step process

Step 1: Our hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process transforms biomass feedstock into a bio-intermediate – a renewable substitute for fossil oil with a ~80% lower carbon intensity.

Step 2: The bio-intermediate is refined, using Shell’s upgrading technology, to advanced biofuels including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

How the Cat-HTR™ technology works

Our patented hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process transforms a range of abundant feedstocks into a liquid bio-intermediate, ready for upgrading into low carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) and biochemicals.

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Community at the core

We are committed to partnering with the local community, working towards inclusive development and enabling new employment opportunities for the region.

Guided by our values of sustainability, innovation, and respect, we prioritise meaningful community engagement. By listening, learning, and acting together, we create connections that foster mutual growth and a future that benefits all.

Frequently asked questions

Understandably, we know you will have questions. Below we have collated some information that we hope is helpful.

We look forward to developing this as we commence conversations with the local community, and progress through our environmental permitting process.

Proposed Facility
Where is the proposed facility located?

The biorefinery facility’s proposed location is alongside the Isis Central Sugar Mill (ICSM) in Childers, who would provide the feedstock (by-products from their sugar mill).
Products
Why are you focused on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?

Aviation is one of the most challenging industries to decarbonise, contributing 3% to global carbon emissions. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is the only viable way to decarbonise aviation for medium to long-haul flights, at least over next 25 years. That is why the aviation industry and Governments around the World are investing in rapidly scaling SAF production, to achieve their Net Zero commitments by 2050.
Products
What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a cleaner alternative to traditional jet fuel, made from renewable resources like plants or waste materials. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps make air travel more sustainable.
Products
What are the end products from this facility?

The end products from Licella’s hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process is a high quality bio-intermediate. As a renewable alternative to fossil oil, our bio-intermediate has the flexibility to produce a huge range of products, traditionally made from fossil oil, from renewable sources. The proposed biorefinery is focused on producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It will also produce small quantities of renewable diesel and green naphtha (a chemical building block for renewable plastic production).
Feedstock
What feedstock will you be using?

The proposed biorefinery will use biomass as its feedstock, targeting biomass wastes and residues. The term “biomass” usually refers to solid plant and organic material. It includes wood and agricultural residues, energy crops and organic waste from households and industry. Our proposed feedstock is agricultural residues, primarily sugarcane by-products (such as bagasse).
Feedstock
What is a feedstock?

The term “feedstock” refers to the raw material used to supply or fuel an industrial process. It is the material fed into the front-end of our Cat-HTR™ hydrothermal liquefaction process that gets converted into the bio-intermediate (bio-oil).
Technology
What is the Cat-HTR™ technology?

The Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) technology is an advanced form of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), developed by Licella. It used hot, pressurised water to produce a bio-intermediate (bio-oil) – a renewable substitute for conventional fossil oil. The Cat-HTR™ HTL process transforms feedstocks such as sugarcane by-products (like bagasse) into a bio-intermediate that is then upgraded into biofuels, such sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel and biochemicals, including green naphtha.

Supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

Licella are grateful to be delivering Project Swift with support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

Knowledge sharing is critical to accelerating Australia’s SAF industry, and we appreciate ARENA’s support as we advance our Queensland biomass-to-SAF project and commercialise our Australian HTL technology to benefit the local market.

Knowledge sharing initiatives that will be delivered during the project include:

Key findings from the feedstock assessments, Pre-FEED and FEED studies
Insights from Arbios’ Chuntoh Ghuna facility (Cat-HTR™ commercial facility in Canada under Licella’s JV with Canfor)
Lessons learnt on the SAF certification pathway

ARENA Project Page Market Context & Opportunity Report Lessons Learnt Report 1

Acknowledgement

This Project received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program.

Disclaimer

The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government, and the Australian Government does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.

Project Swift overview

The biorefinery’s two-step process

1. Feedstock preparation

2. Feedstock pressurisation

3. Supercritical water heater

4. Liquefaction

5. Reactors

6. Upgrading

7. Product separation

Community at the core

Where is the proposed facility located?

Why are you focused on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

What are the end products from this facility?

What feedstock will you be using?

What is a feedstock?

What is the Cat-HTR™ technology?

Supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)