Nova Pangaea Technologies, a UK biomass processing company based in Teesside, has successfully completed extended endurance trials of sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste biomass. The trials sustained continuous stable operation for up to 72 hours and delivered yields above target levels, a result the company says should strengthen investor confidence.

Nova Pangaea Technologies is headquartered in Redcar, Teesside, and develops its patented REFNOVA process to convert waste biomass into biofuels and biochemicals for the aviation and industrial sectors. The company's investors include International Airlines Group, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and Par Equity, with total funding raised to date of around £29 million across multiple rounds.

The trials target waste biomass such as sawdust and wheat straw as a scalable alternative to used cooking oil, currently the dominant feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel. Proving that non-food biomass can be processed reliably at scale is central to solving the industry's long-term feedstock supply constraint.

Nova Pangaea is working with British Airways and LanzaJet on Project Speedbird, an initiative to produce carbon-negative aviation fuel from local waste biomass. The partnership gives the company a level of industry credibility that many early-stage sustainable aviation fuel developers lack.

"By tapping into the plentiful supplies of waste biomass, we can boost SAF production, enhancing our energy security and building a new domestic industry that generates jobs and revenues while reducing fossil fuel emissions," said Stewart Stewart, chief executive of Nova Pangaea.

Nova Pangaea is not yet producing sustainable aviation fuel at commercial scale. Its significance lies less in current output and more in whether it can prove waste biomass can become a viable, scalable feedstock for future production.

For the sector, the results add momentum to efforts to diversify sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks beyond used cooking oil as demand for lower-carbon flying continues to rise.

Source: Aviation Business News / Nova Pangaea Technologies