OXCCU has received £1.8 million (US$2.3 million) from the ATI Programme to investigate non-CO2 effects of its synthetic crude sustainable aviation fuel.
The Oxford, England-based company is the first fuel producer to receive funding through the ATI Non-CO2 Programme. The program is delivered in partnership with the Aerospace Technology Institute, Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
The total project cost of £3 million (US$3.9 million) includes co-investment between industry and government through the Department for Business and Trade. The project runs from July 2025 to June 2027, focusing on understanding how to minimize non-CO2 effects of OXFUEL.
“This ATI Programme funding not only enables us to advance our technology but also supports our ambition to lead the industry in producing cleaner aviation fuels with a reduced contribution to global warming,” said Andrew Symes, chief executive at OXCCU. “Non-CO2 effects are an area of emerging science that could have substantial implications for climate strategy in aviation.”
The project will explore how OXFUEL produced with OXCCU’s iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst can reduce warming associated with non-CO2 effects of burning hydrocarbon fuel in jet turbines. The focus includes soot particles, which can cause cloud formation at altitude and impact global warming.
According to OXCCU, the catalyst works directly with carbon dioxide and has high selectivity for producing jet fuel range hydrocarbon syncrude in a single exothermic step. The process requires fewer steps and less hydrogen input per amount of jet fuel compared to other methods.
The ATI Non-CO2 Programme builds on the UK Aviation Non-CO2 Programme, managed by the Department for Business and Trade, Department for Transport and Natural Environment Research Council. The program seeks to accelerate industrial investment in technologies that can reduce non-CO2 emissions across the aerospace sector.
OXCCU validated its technology at the OX1 demonstration plant at Oxford Airport in 2024. The company focuses on direct hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, eliminating the reverse water-gas shift step or multiple stages associated with methanol production.
The funding supports stakeholder engagement, accreditation efforts and commercial partnerships. The UK government has set a target of 10% sustainable aviation fuel inclusion in jet fuel by 2030.
