ALOHA Feedstock for SAF:Assessing Local Organics with a Hawaiian Approach for Feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

We are developing an integrated feedstock processing, gasification, and gas cleanup process to convert lignocellulosic urban organic waste and biomass into cost-competitive, high-performance biofuels and biopower. Specifically, we are focused on converting urban and suburban wood waste and green waste into syngas suitable for upgrading that syngas to green hydrogen and/or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Part of our focus on diverting waste feedstocks is to achieve more equitable and inclusive innovative technology solutions, and correct the status quo where these wastes are disproportionately affecting minority, low-income, or native communities. For this research we will focus on organic waste separated from construction and demolition debris; and tropical invasive species and green waste. Each of these bioenergy and biofuel feedstock has strong local community benefits, especially to Native Hawaiian disadvantaged communities, but has not yet been explored with scientific rigor for biofuel production. Enough of this waste is generated on the island of O’ahu alone to supply 100% of the feedstock for both our pilot and commercial-scale gasification plant. This material could be a significant feedstock source for our proposed first commercial project in the City and County of Honolulu on the island of O`ahu, but its physico-chemical and technoeconomic characteristics, and processing necessary to prepare it into a gasification feedstock and convert thermochemically to bioenergy safely and within U.S. environmental regulatory compliance have not been studied and are poorly understood. Our research focus for this Phase II SBIR is to complete the community-informed bioenergy plant design and definition at Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) level for our first-of-a-kind pilot plant, a 50 ton per day (TPD) biomass gasifier and associated feedstock pre-processing and gas cleanup system. This pilot plant, to be sited in Kapolei in the City and County of Honolulu, will help us to pilot and refine our integrated processes to convert organic construction and demolition debris and tropical greenwaste and invasive species to biopower and biofuel intermediates for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). We will also do some investigation into co-product opportunities and feasibility at pilot scale, such as re-use of the ash from the gasification process as a biochar/fertilizer or a green cement ingredient. Our goal with this research is to engage the local community and promote workforce development in the STEM fields needed for our future plant’s workforce, with a focus on participation from and engagement with those native Hawaiian ancestry, as the most under-represented group in STEM fields.