Circularity converts dairy waste into jet fuel precursor
Circularity Fuels recently converted biogas from a California Central Valley dairy farm into synthesis gas (syngas), a key precursor to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), using a compact electric processing unit one-hundredth the cost of conventional steam methane or autothermal reformers.
The demonstration marked a key step toward transforming the economics of renewable fuel production, one Circularity believes will help airlines meet mandates for sustainable fuel alternatives while unlocking billions of dollars in new revenue streams for farmers, the startup reported. America’s 20,000-plus large livestock operations generate nearly a trillion pounds of manure each year, yet fewer than 6% of them capture the biogas that is produced as the waste decomposes.
Circularity says its proprietary, electric-powered Ouro Reactor successfully processed raw biogas from a working dairy farm’s covered lagoon digester, converting methane and carbon dioxide that would typically be flared or vented into valuable fuel components. Unlike traditional gas-fired reformers that cost millions and require massive infrastructure, the Ouro Reactor uses modified automotive-industry components to achieve the same result at a fraction of the size and cost.
“Farmers in the U.S. and around the world are sitting on an untapped goldmine,” Dr. Stephen Beaton, Circularity CEO and founder, said in a news release. “We’re giving them the ability to turn waste into a profitable product that airlines desperately need.”
Meeting aviation’s urgent demand
The demonstration—the first to electrically reform farm raw biogas from a lagoon digester into a jet-fuel precursor without combustion, according to Circularity—validates several critical innovations. The Ouro Reactor operates on standard electrical connections, uses industrially proven catalysts, and processes raw biogas without expensive pre-treatment. Importantly, it maintains stable operation despite the contaminants typically found in agricultural biogas that would damage conventional reformers.
The milestone comes as airlines face increasing mandates to incorporate SAF into their fuel mix, with current production meeting less than 1% of demand. The syngas produced by the Ouro Reactor can be converted into jet fuel using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, a proven industrial process that transforms carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons.
The lack of access to natural gas pipelines has prevented most agricultural biogas from being converted into renewable fuels. Circularity’s Ouro Reactor helps solve this problem by slashing reforming costs from millions to tens of thousands of dollars, making the technology affordable enough to deploy directly at large farms. When paired with scaled-down Fischer-Tropsch systems, these distributed units can produce liquid fuel on-site that can be transported by truck or rail, eliminating the need for pipeline infrastructure entirely.
“For the first time, farmers will become renewable fuel producers without waiting for pipeline infrastructure that will never come,” Beaton said. “The liquid fuel can be trucked out using existing transportation networks, making energy production as straightforward as any other farm output.”