Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Researchers at the Shanghai Advanced Institute (SARI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a new process that converts carbon dioxide into energy-dense liquid fuels. The approach is based on a “reverse combustion” reaction, where CO₂ combined with water is transformed into long-chain hydrocarbons that can serve as a basis for aviation kerosene, AzerNEWS reports.

A key breakthrough in the study is the use of an iron-based catalyst enhanced with potassium and aluminum additives. According to the researchers, this catalyst helps overcome two major challenges in synthetic fuel production: the difficulty of building long carbon chains and the low efficiency of producing high-value fuel fractions.

During laboratory tests, the catalyst created an active surface that significantly accelerates chemical reactions and improves selectivity toward aviation-grade molecules. At a temperature of around 330°C and under moderate pressure, the system achieved a production rate of 453.7 ml of heavy olefins per gram of catalyst per hour, with 252.7 ml of that being suitable for aviation fuel applications.

Importantly, the catalyst remained stable for over 800 hours of continuous operation, a key indicator that the technology could be scaled up for industrial use.

However, researchers note that synthetic aviation fuels still face long and complex certification processes, similar in rigor to pharmaceutical approvals. These regulations are necessary to ensure safety, engine compatibility, and environmental performance.

At present, many “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF) solutions rely on limited feedstocks such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste. This creates supply constraints, especially as global demand for cleaner aviation grows rapidly. In contrast, CO₂-based fuel production could offer a far more abundant raw material source—essentially using a greenhouse gas as a building block.

An interesting implication of this research is that, in the future, large industrial emitters such as power plants or steel factories could potentially become “fuel suppliers” rather than just pollution sources. If paired with renewable energy, this kind of technology could help create a closed carbon loop, where emissions are continuously captured and recycled into jet fuel.

While still in the experimental stage, scientists suggest that if efficiency and costs continue to improve, CO₂-to-fuel systems could become economically competitive within the next decade, potentially reshaping both the aviation industry and global carbon management strategies.