Synthetic jet fuel made without crude oil

August 29, 2026

UK clean-fuel start-up Zero Petroleum is moving closer to commercial-scale production of synthetic aviation fuel after successfully demonstrating a fuel designed to replicate conventional Jet A-1. The company produces the fuel using green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide instead of crude oil, offering another potential pathway for reducing aviation’s dependence on fossil fuels.

The technology falls within the growing Power-to-Liquid (PtL) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector, which uses renewable electricity to create liquid fuels from hydrogen and carbon. Zero Petroleum is now advancing plans for its first commercial-scale facility as it works to move the technology beyond demonstration production.

Synthetic jet fuel made without crude oil

Zero Petroleum’s process begins with green hydrogen generated using renewable electricity. The hydrogen is combined with captured carbon dioxide and converted through a series of synthesis and upgrading stages into synthetic hydrocarbons.

These hydrocarbons can then be refined into aviation fuel with chemical and physical properties designed to match those of conventional Jet A-1.

Instead of extracting petroleum from underground, the production pathway relies primarily on renewable electricity, water and captured carbon as its inputs. This could significantly reduce dependence on fossil-based feedstocks if the technology is successfully deployed at scale.

The company says its demonstration program has shown that synthetic Jet A-1 can be produced using this approach, marking an important step toward larger-scale PtL fuel manufacturing.

Drop-in fuel could support aviation decarbonization

A major focus of Zero Petroleum’s development program is compatibility with the aviation sector’s existing equipment and infrastructure.

Rather than creating an entirely new type of fuel that would require extensive modifications to aircraft, engines or airport systems, the company is developing a synthetic alternative intended to replicate conventional Jet A-1.

This “drop-in” approach could be important for accelerating sustainable aviation fuel adoption. Aircraft fleets typically remain in operation for decades, while replacing airport fuel-storage and distribution infrastructure would require substantial investment.

Synthetic fuels that can work with existing systems therefore offer a potential way to lower lifecycle emissions without requiring the aviation industry to replace its entire physical infrastructure.

Zero Petroleum plans first commercial-scale plant

Following its fuel demonstration, Zero Petroleum is progressing toward the development of its first commercial-scale synthetic aviation fuel facility.

Key details about the proposed plant have not yet been publicly confirmed, including its final location, production capacity, investment cost and construction timeline.

The next phase is expected to focus on scaling the production technology, completing engineering work and securing the financing and supply arrangements needed for commercial operations.

Building a large PtL facility will require considerably more than the core fuel-production technology. Supporting infrastructure could include renewable electricity generation or supply, electrolyzers for green hydrogen, carbon dioxide capture or delivery systems, synthesis equipment, fuel upgrading facilities, storage capacity and export infrastructure.

Reliable access to renewable power and water will also be critical to the economics and environmental performance of the project.

Power-to-liquid SAF targets aviation’s fossil fuel dependence

Aviation is considered one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize because large commercial aircraft require fuels with high energy density, making direct electrification difficult for many medium- and long-haul routes.

Power-to-Liquid fuels could help address this challenge by converting renewable energy into energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons suitable for aviation.

When green hydrogen is produced with renewable electricity and the carbon used in fuel production comes from appropriate captured sources, synthetic aviation fuel has the potential to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fossil jet fuel.

The approach could also allow airlines to continue operating existing aircraft while gradually replacing petroleum-derived jet fuel with lower-carbon alternatives.

Scaling synthetic aviation fuel remains the next challenge

Zero Petroleum’s move toward commercial production highlights the transition now taking place across the sustainable aviation fuel industry: from proving that alternative fuels can be produced to demonstrating that they can be manufactured economically at industrial scale.

Large PtL projects require substantial amounts of renewable electricity, hydrogen-production capacity and carbon dioxide, while their commercial viability depends heavily on production costs, financing and reliable access to low-carbon energy.

If Zero Petroleum successfully scales its technology, its planned commercial facility could provide another demonstration of how green hydrogen and captured carbon can be transformed into synthetic aviation fuel without conventional crude oil.

For an aviation industry searching for practical ways to cut its climate impact while continuing to use existing aircraft and infrastructure, synthetic Jet A-1 could become an increasingly important part of the long-term SAF market.