Communicator

EcoCeres manufactures green and renewable HVO using patented technology at a facility located in Jiangsu Province / Ecoceres

Under China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the government has set a target of consuming 50,000 tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) annually by 2025. Additionally, policymakers are exploring the implementation of a blending mandate for the aviation industry, which could require blending SAF at rates of 2% to 5%.

According to several sources, China's SAF industry is on track for significant growth, with total announced production capacity projected to reach 3.63 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by the end of the decade. This expansion aligns with broader regional trends, as the Asia-Pacific region's SAF production capacity is expected to hit 3.5 million metric tons annually by the end of 2025.

Review of SAF Key Players and Capacities

Below is a list of some SAF operating production plants and projects in China:

OPERATING 

Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company

• Plant Location: Zhenhai District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province
• Capacity: Currently produces 100,000 tpy HEFA-based SAF and renewable diesel at its Zhenhai refinery. Plans for expansion are underway.
• Technology: Uses Sinopec's proprietary SRJET biofuel production technology. The plant is Asia's first RSB-certified SAF production unit.
• Details: The biofuel plant been operational since May 2022; most of its output is exported internationally. It has also received airworthiness certification to supply biojet fuel to China's aviation market.

Junheng Industry Group Biotech 

• Plant Location: Puyang Industrial Park, Henan Province
• Capacity:  the company started producing SAF in December 2023 at a new 400,000 tpy plant, costing 1.3 billion yuan ($180 million). 
• Production: the company expects to produce 150,000 tonnes of SAF in 2024. 
• Feedstock: UCO and waste oils from municipal, agricultural, and forestry sources
• Achievements: First private enterprise in China to receive SAF airworthiness approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Conducted successful engine tests using 100% SAF. SAF product obtained the EU ISCC bioenergy certification and is sold to European countries.

EcoCeres 

• Plant Location: Zhangjiagang , Jiangsu Province
• Technology: Proprietary technology. 
• Capacity: 100,000 tpy SAF / 200,000 tonnes renewable disel 
• Details: Operational since 2022; primarily exports its production to international markets. 

PROJECTS

Sinopec and TotalEnergies Joint Venture

• Plant Location: Sinopec refinery in China (specific location not disclosed)
• Capacity: Planned capacity of 230,000 tpy SAF
• Feedstock: Local waste or residues from the circular economy (e.g., UCO and animal fats)
• Technology & Partners: Will utilize Sinopec's SRJET technology combined with TotalEnergies' expertise in technical operations and distribution.
• Timeline & Details: This collaboration aligns with Sinopec's strategy for low-carbon solutions and TotalEnergies' goal of producing 1.5 million tons of SAF annually by 2030.

Tianzhou New Energy

• Plant Location: Weiyuan, Sichuan Province
• Capacity: 200,000 tonnes per year (tpy) SAF facility, with plans to expand to 500,000 tpy
• Feedstock: Used cooking oil (UCO)
• Timeline: Initially targeted late 2024 for start-up, now delayed to late 2025
• The facility will process 200,000 tpy of UCO into SAF, equivalent to about 4,300 barrels per day.

Zhejiang Jiaao Enprotech

• Plant Location: Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province
• Capacity: 500,000 tpy SAF facility under construction
• BP acquired a 15% stake in the project for $49.56 million (354 million yuan)
• Feedstock: Waste cooking oil and other renewable resources processed using HEFA technology
• Details: One of the largest SAF plants in the region; expected to play a significant role in China's green aviation sector. 

Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Protection Tech

• Plant Location: Suining, Jintang County, Sichuan Province
• Planned capacity of 400,000 tpy SAF
• Timeline: Construction expected to begin by July 2025 and complete by the end of 2025
• Details: Partnering with Honeywell UOP to use Ecofining technology. 
• Feedstock: The plant will process renewable feedstocks like UCO and animal fats into SAF.

Shandong Haike Chemical

• Plant Location: Dongying City, Shandong Province
• Capacity: Retrofitting an existing refining unit to produce 500,000 tpy SAF using Axens’ Vegan technology
• Timeline: Expected completion by late 2025
• Details: The first application of Axens’ Vegan technology in Asia. The retrofit aims to produce high-quality SAF for domestic and international markets.

We will continue to update this list of SAF production plants in China and globally.

#biofuels #saf  #sustainability  #renewablefuels  #renewablediesel  #hefa  #sustainableaviationfuel  #hydrotreating  #usedcookingoil  #uco 

Sinopec Residue Hydrotreating Technology has been added.

#resid #residuum  #hydrotreating  #rht  #sinopec 

Axens Prime-D technology for diesel hydrotreatment has been added.

#axens #hydrotreating  #desulfurization  #diesel  #middledistillate  #primed