Topsoe and Sasol to Supply SAF Technology for Uzbekistan’s Major Clean Fuels Project
Topsoe and Sasol have signed a licensing and engineering agreement with Allied Biofuels to provide sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology for a major clean fuels project in Uzbekistan that aims to produce around 300,000 tonnes of eSAF and bio-SAF annually.
The agreement covers Allied Biofuels’ planned facility in the Khorezm region, which will use Topsoe’s SynCOR™ technology alongside Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel from a range of feedstocks, including biomass, green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide.
The SAF facility forms part of a wider US$6.1 billion integrated clean fuels development that is expected to produce more than 400,000 tonnes of aviation fuel each year. A final investment decision is targeted for 2027, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in 2030.
Under the agreement, Topsoe and Sasol will provide the core technology licence, engineering design package and technical services for the project’s eSAF production pathway. The integrated technology is designed to maximise production flexibility while improving hydrogen utilisation, reducing carbon emissions and increasing fuel yields.
Yassir Ghiyati, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, said the project represents the company’s first eSAF development in Uzbekistan.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone for Topsoe as this is our first eSAF project in Uzbekistan. The Allied Biofuels facility brings together best-in-class technologies from Topsoe and Sasol to produce SAF with a variety of feedstock enhancing operations resilience,” he said.
He added that commercial-scale projects such as this would play an important role in meeting growing global demand for sustainable aviation fuel, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.
Sasol said the project builds on more than three decades of collaboration between the two companies and demonstrates continued confidence in its Fischer-Tropsch technology for large-scale clean fuel production.
“The selection of Sasol for this landmark project reflects the confidence that customers place in our proven Fischer-Tropsch technology and our ability to deliver at commercial scale,” said Sarushen Pillay, Executive Vice President for Business Building, Strategy and Technology at Sasol.
He said the integrated technology offering would help increase global SAF production capacity while supporting the broader energy transition.
Allied Biofuels described the agreements as a key milestone in developing one of Central Asia’s largest aviation fuel platforms.
“Securing world-class technology from Topsoe and Sasol is a defining milestone for Allied Biofuels’ Uzbekistan project,” said Alfred Benedict, Managing Director at Allied Biofuels.
“These agreements strengthen our engineering and execution pathway and are central to Allied Biofuels’ development of a globally competitive clean fuels platform capable of contributing to the aviation sector’s growing need for credible, scalable SAF and eSAF.”
The project comes as demand for sustainable aviation fuel continues to grow, driven by increasingly stringent decarbonisation policies. Under the European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, fuel suppliers will be required to provide a 1.2% share of eSAF at EU airports by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050.
The Uzbekistan facility is expected to contribute to meeting this growing demand while strengthening the country’s position in the emerging global market for low-carbon aviation fuels.
