Lydian, an electric fuels company, has successfully demonstrated its novel technology for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a pilot facility located at RTI International in North Carolina. This pilot plant, capable of producing up to 25 gallons of fuel per day, marks a significant achievement for both Lydian and the SAF industry, as it was developed within just three years of the company’s founding and with significantly lower capital investment than typical SAF demonstrations.

Lydian’s innovative process converts captured CO2, water, and renewable electricity into a drop-in alternative to conventional fossil-based jet fuel, reducing emissions by up to 95%. “In less than three years, we’ve gone from concept to pilot, demonstrating the viability of our technology and paving the way for commercial production,” said Joe Rodden, CEO and co-founder of Lydian.

The company’s power-to-liquids (PtL) technology is gaining traction within the SAF sector due to its scalability, reliance on widely available waste CO2 as feedstock, and minimal land and water requirements compared to biofuels. PtL approaches offer the lowest emissions profile of any SAF, making them an attractive solution for the aviation industry's decarbonization efforts.

One of the major challenges in PtL technology is its high electricity demand. Lydian has addressed this issue by designing modular reactors that can operate flexibly, adjusting to fluctuations in low-cost renewable power availability. This adaptability not only lowers operating costs but also prevents competition for clean energy resources, reducing strain on the power grid—a critical advantage as electricity demand continues to surge across industries. “From day one, our system design has focused on efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” said Dr. Branko Zugic, Lydian’s CTO and co-founder. “Our process advancements have resulted in breakthroughs that provide significant logistical and economic benefits for both commercial and defense applications.”

Lydian’s achievements have also drawn attention from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The company recently received a DARPA award through the "Expeditionary Carbon Utilization for Energy Resilience and Stabilization" (ExCURSion) program. This initiative aims to develop portable, rechargeable systems that store energy as carbon-based fuel, helping address the logistical challenges of fuel transportation in remote and expeditionary settings. The DoD, which consumes over 70 million barrels of fuel annually, is actively seeking localized fuel production solutions to enhance energy security and reduce costs associated with fuel logistics.

Looking ahead, Lydian plans to launch its first commercial-scale demonstration plant by 2027, with a full-scale facility expected by 2030 capable of producing 20 million gallons of SAF per year. The company is accelerating its growth with a highly skilled team of experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Anduril, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Stanford, and MIT.