Kazakhstan to build its first sustainable aviation fuel plant

Kazakhstan plans to build its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant. US-based KBR has been awarded a contract by KMG-Aero, a subsidiary of KazMunayGas, and KazFoodProducts to provide technology and engineering solutions for the new facility.

The future plant will use PureSAF technology developed by Swedish Biofuels. It is based on the alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) process, which enables the production of aviation fuel from alcohol-based feedstocks.

The project could create a new outlet for agricultural feedstocks produced in Kazakhstan. These are expected to be integrated into a production chain for higher-value products with a lower carbon footprint.

KBR says PureSAF is a feedstock-flexible technology designed to deliver high SAF yields. The company will license the technology and provide proprietary engineering design for the facility.

The construction of Kazakhstan’s first SAF plant is part of the country’s plans to develop into an international aviation hub and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the plant’s production capacity, feedstock requirements and expected commissioning date have not yet been disclosed.