Australia Advances 125,000-Tonne SAF Project Using Sugarcane Waste

Australia is moving forward with the Project Lion sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Queensland’s Burdekin region, with planned annual SAF production of up to 125,000 tonnes.

Maire Group’s NextChem, through its subsidiary MyRechemical, has been awarded the license, process design package (PDP), and engineering services for the project’s syngas production section. The facility will use locally available sugarcane residues, including sugarcane tops and other agricultural waste, as feedstock.

NextChem’s NX Circular™ gasification technology will convert these residues into purified, chemical-grade syngas. The syngas will then be processed through third-party technology to produce SAF and renewable diesel.

The project aims to turn agricultural residues that are often burned or underutilized into valuable low-carbon fuel feedstocks, while supporting the development of Australia’s domestic SAF industry and creating a new value chain for locally available biomass.