Alder SAF100 demonstrated a 100% biogenic jet-fuel blend using hydrotreated Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) as the majority component with a smaller share of HEFA-SAF. Testing showed favorable energy density and low-temperature properties, highlighting the potential for ARC-derived hydrocarbons to support next-generation SAF production.
Unlocking 100% SAF
Aviation requires liquid fuels with demanding performance characteristics, making sustainable aviation fuel one of the most technically challenging transportation-fuel markets. Alder SAF100 was developed to explore how ARC-derived hydrocarbons could contribute to a fully biogenic jet fuel.
Alder SAF100 demonstrates that a fully biogenic jet fuel can be produced by combining ARC hydrocarbons as the majority component with HEFA-SAF as the balance. The result is a 100% biogenic blend designed to retain the key performance characteristics required of conventional jet fuel while expanding the range of renewable molecules available for SAF production.
Alder partnered with Washington State University (WSU), Honeywell UOP, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and World Energy. Hydroprocessing and distillation were completed with technical support from Honeywell UOP, fuel-property prescreening at WSU, and independent finished-fuel testing at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).
Technical Insights
EEarly testing highlighted several favorable fuel properties:
Together, these results demonstrate the potential for ARC-derived hydrocarbons to complement HEFA and contribute to future 100% biogenic SAF formulations.
Industry Perspectives
“We are delighted to support Alder’s efforts to commercialize Alder SAF100. This iterative prescreening approach de-risks scale-up and highlights opportunities to accelerate development milestones,” said Josh Heyne, Director of the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab at WSU.
“Unlocking 100% SAF is essential for the aviation sector to meet its decarbonization targets,” said Zia Abdullah, Laboratory Program Manager for Bioenergy at NREL. “Alder’s ARC platform shows clear potential to provide the right molecular mix at scale.”
Looking Ahead
lder SAF100 demonstrates how Alder’s ARC platform can serve as a scalable foundation for next-generation SAF. The work provides an early demonstration of how ARC-derived hydrocarbons can expand the molecular toolkit available for SAF while leveraging existing refining and fuel-production infrastructure.
Building momentum with technology validation, strategic partnerships, and new projects
Alder, BASF, National Laboratory of the Rockies, and North Atlantic Refining co-authored a new Hydrocarbon Processing article on coprocessing Alder Renewable Crude in fluid catalytic crackers. The work highlights a practical pathway to produce renewable fuels by integrating ARC into existing refinery FCC units, with improved handling, storage stability, and strong product yields.
Project Avance demonstrated barrel-scale ARC production from commercial fast pyrolysis oils derived from forestry residues. The campaign focused on the final unit operation in Alder’s process, showing consistent performance across different commercial pyrolysis feedstocks and supporting a flexible pathway to refinery integration and scale-up.
Alder SAF100 demonstrated a 100% biogenic jet-fuel blend using hydrotreated Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) as the majority component with a smaller share of HEFA-SAF. Testing showed favorable energy density and low-temperature properties, highlighting the potential for ARC-derived hydrocarbons to support next-generation SAF production.
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