Drax to supply 1 M. t of pellets a year for sustainable aviation fuel

Article by Philipp Matzku (adapted for holzkurier.com; translated by Eva Guzely) | 13.12.2024 - 11:24

UK-based energy supplier Drax Group (Drax), and Pathway Energy LLC, a US supplier of carbon-negative energy solutions, have reached heads of terms on a multi-year deal. As part of this deal, Drax could supply over one million tonnes of pellets each year to Pathway’s proposed sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Port Arthur, Texas.

Starting in 2029, the SAF plant is to produce 30 million gallons (114,000 t) of carbon-negative jet fuel a year. With this quantity, 5,000 carbon-neutral long-haul flights per year could be powered in a carbon-neutral way, according to a press statement by the two companies. Construction on the US-$2 billion plant (€1.9 billion) is scheduled to begin in early 2026.

Furthermore, Pathway intends to develop a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) system on the Port Arthur site which could remove 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

In the future, Drax Group could become a strategic partner and also potentially supply a further two million tonnes of pellets per year to two additional Pathway projects.