Indaba invests in waste-to-aviation fuel capacity

California-based company aims to produce 13,000 barrels per day of recycled-content aviation fuel.

airplanes fueling airport
Aviation fuel will be made from plant and animal oils, fats and grease-based feedstock at the two facilities being planned by Indaba.
Image supplied by Adobe Stock.

Newport Beach, California-based Indaba Renewable Fuels is planning to build two waste-to-aviation fuel greenfield refineries, one in California and the other in Missouri, according to a technology vendor to the project.

Denmark-based Topsoe says the HydroFlex technology it is providing will let Indaba convert plant and animal oils, fats and grease-based feedstock into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Topsoe says each facility is expected to begin production of SAF in 2024 and each will have a capacity of 6,500 barrels per day of production.

“We are excited to provide Indaba with refining technology and catalysts as they initiate production of renewable fuels in the United States,” says Henrik Rasmussen, managing director for the Americas with Haldor Topsoe Inc. “Our HydroFlex solution is designed to produce SAF based on renewable feedstock, with a minimal carbon intensity (CI) score compared to traditional petroleum aviation fuel,” adds Rasmussen.

Topsoe says its technology “enables Indaba’s facilities to accept a wide variety of feedstocks as well as the production of multiple low-CI renewable fuels.”

“We are thrilled to select Haldor Topsoe’s market-leading HydroFlex technology for these projects that will enable us to lead the aviation industry’s transition to sustainable and low emissions fuel,” says Geoff Hirson, CEO of Indaba Renewable Fuels. “These projects will source feedstocks from waste products to create low carbon emission SAF for decades.”