BioFlux™ thermal pretreatment for SAF: how it lowers costs and unlocks low-cost feedstocks

Introduction - the fast lane to competitive SAF

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) economics hinge on two variables: feedstock cost and hydrotreating efficiency. Sulzer’s BioFlux™ Thermal Pretreatment Technology (TPT) unlocks low-cost feedstocks including used cooking oil (UCO), distillers corn oil (DCO), and Category 1 tallow by drastically lowering contaminants (up to 96% metals, 99% phosphorus, 99.9% chlorides) and removing up to 50% oxygen before hydrotreating. The result is reliable, lower-cost SAF with reduced carbon intensity.

What BioFlux™ TPT does differently

Thermal conversion vs. conventional physical refining

Unlike conventional pretreatment that aims to separate out impurities, BioFlux™ applies a thermal cracking approach to convert difficult fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) directly into hydrotreating-ready feed. This enables efficient processing of high-impurity animal fats that traditional methods cannot handle including Category 1 tallow.

Hydrotreating-Ready by design

BioFlux™ almost completely converts triglycerides to free fatty acids (FFAs) and PIONAs (paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins, naphthenes, aromatics), improving downstream hydroprocessing behavior and cutting hydrogen demand by up to 50% thanks to oxygen removal in pretreatment.

Proven results and scalable deployment

• Contaminant removal at pretreatment: up to 96% metals, 99% phosphorus, 99.9% chlorides, plus ~50% oxygen removal.

• Economics: up to 12% lower production costs vs. conventional processes, driven by natural gas savings and renewable naphtha credits; and up to 15% reduction vs. conventional pretreatment + hydrotreating (different baseline).

• No exotic metallurgy, no catalyst required, and uses familiar refinery equipment.

• Demonstrated at scale: 10 kt/a demonstration plant in Jackson, Mississippi.

• Rapid execution: from concept to engineering to modular plant supply within 24 months.

• Flexible integration: new builds or co-processing in existing hydrotreaters.

  
  

Key benefits at a glance

• Enables low-cost feedstocks: efficiently pretreated UCO, DCO, soybean oil, palm by-products, animal fats, and Category 1 tallow.

• Superior economics: lower hydrogen and natural gas usage; additional revenue from renewable naphtha.

• Operational simplicity: no catalyst, no exotic metallurgy, and standard refinery equipment.

• Coprocessing-ready: supports bio-feedstock co-processing in existing hydrotreaters to scale SAF volumes sooner.

  
  

FAQ - BioFlux™ thermal pretreatment

Q1: what makes BioFlux™ different from conventional pretreatment?

A: it uses thermal cracking rather than physical refining, converting impurities instead of removing them unlocking high-impurity feedstocks for SAF.

Q2: which feedstocks are proven?

A: UCO, DCO, soybean oil, palm by-products, and high-impurity animal fats including Category 1 tallow.

Q3: how does it reduce hydrogen use?

A: by removing up to 50% of oxygen in pretreatment, BioFlux™ lowers hydrotreating hydrogen demand, reducing OPEX and carbon intensity.

Q4: what are the economic gains?

A: up to 12% lower production costs vs. conventional processes (natural gas savings + renewable naphtha credits), and up to 15% when compared to conventional pretreatment + hydrotreating.

Q5: is it proven at scale?

A: Yes. A 10 kt/a demonstration plant in Jackson, Mississippi has validated the process.

Ready to optimize your SAF production?

Contact our engineering team today to discuss your project and learn how BioFlux™ Thermal Pretreatment can unlock low-cost feedstocks, reduce hydrogen consumption, and improve your economics.