Technip Energies awarded FEED for Project Ulysses

Jet Zero has completed feasibility studies, negotiated key agreements, attracted strong financial backers and lenders, for a first-of-a-kind commercial-scale 113 million litre per annum sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD) project in Asia named Project Ulysses, after the iconic North Queensland butterfly.

Jet Zero has recently commenced Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) with a world-leading ATJ technology provider LanzaJet, engineering and construction contractor Technip Energies, and continuation of the Owner’s Engineering Services Contract with LONG Energy & Resources (Aust) Pty Ltd (LERA) for Project Ulysses that will be located in North Queensland’s Townsville State Development Area (SDA).

Extensive package

The FEED contract for Technip Energies, the value of which has not been disclosed, covers an extensive package of engineering activities, documentation, and planning to refine the cost estimate for the project and develop detailed timelines.

The project in Townsville aims to produce 102 million liters of SAF and 11 million litres of renewable diesel annually by 2028 using Australian bioethanol made from domestic agricultural by-products and technologies from Technip Energies and LanzaJet, respectively.

Technip Energies’ “Hummingbird” technology converts the bioethanol to sustainable ethylene, and LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology transforms the ethylene to SAF.

We are very pleased to see Project Ulysses moving forward to provide the first alcohol-to-jet SAF plant in Australia. With the global aviation industry looking for ways to further secure their supply and lower emissions, Technip Energies and LanzaJet integrated technology is a smart solution, bringing energy security while at the same time eliminating up to 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, said Sylvain Cabalery, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies.

LERA will provide specialist project management and owner engineering services from Brisbane to assure FEED engineering is delivered to Jet Zero’s design philosophy, and in accordance with the contract.

Funding support

Execution of these contracts to complete the AU$36.8 million FEED program was made possible through crucial funding support from Jet Zero’s investors and industry partners including Airbus, Qantas and Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd, as well as the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of the Advancing Renewables Program and the Queensland Government’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP).

Queensland’s Assistant Minister for Community Safety, Defence Industry, Veterans and North Queensland and Member for Mundingburra, Janelle Poole MP, said that the Queensland Government is “steadfast in its commitment to explore opportunities for new industries across Queensland, particularly focusing on economic growth in the regions.”

The Crisafulli LNP Queensland Government will continue to actively look at ways the biofuels sector can expand, noting the importance of working closely with our agricultural cropping production areas, Janelle Poole said.

The announcement was made at an industry outreach hosted by Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer Julie Kitcher.

Signatories were Technip Energies Australia’s Managing Director, Gareth Philp, LERA’s CEO, Chris Lawson, and Jet Zero’s CEO, Ed Mason. In addition to Julie Kitcher, the signing was witnessed by Qantas Chief Sustainability Officer, Fiona Messent, and LanzaJet’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific, Flyn Van Ewijk.