Accepted into ASTM Clearinghouse for Qualification

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• Company's Flexiforming-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) advances toward commercial adoption
  
• Acceptance validates proven technical capability and production scale required for Clearinghouse qualification
  
• Milestone positions Unifuel as a credible pathway towards 100% drop-in SAF for commercial airline adoption
  

LOS ALTOS, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Universal Fuel Technologies (Unifuel) Ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced via the company’s Flexiforming technology has been accepted into the ASTM D4054 Clearinghouse, which supports the technical evaluation of new aviation fuels, for qualification. This acceptance positions Unifuel among an exclusive group of companies advancing toward ASTM qualification, the essential gateway for new fuels to enter commercial aviation markets.

"The acceptance into the D4054 Clearinghouse is an important validation of our Flexiforming technology and significantly derisks our road to approval for commercial use," said Alexei Beltyukov, CEO, Universal Fuel Technologies. "This advancement indicates that our SAF can meet the toughest performance standards without sacrificing scalability or quality, and has technical credibility in the eyes of industry experts."

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The ASTM D4054 evaluation process is the aviation industry’s framework for ensuring that new fuels can safely power aircraft engines. It includes multiple tiers of testing, data collection, and technical review by experts from leading aerospace companies. Acceptance into the D4054 Clearinghouse requires demonstrating, by independent testing, that a fuel is not only technically credible and can be produced at a meaningful scale, but also that it has met strict quality and safety criteria.

"We accept candidate fuels into the D4054 Clearinghouse that show strong potential for completing the ASTM qualification process successfully," said Dr. Zachary West, Director, D4054 Clearinghouse. "This marks a significant milestone for Universal Fuel Technologies towards their goal of commercial acceptance.”

The acceptance follows a successful five-month pilot project where the company produced nearly 100 liters of sample material for four different SAF pathways under stable process conditions. The campaign focused on converting methanol and ethanol, and ethanol with paraffinic renewable naphtha made via Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), into SAF. The samples then underwent comprehensive testing by Washington State University’s Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab, the world-leading authority on SAF research.

"The acceptance into the D4054 Clearinghouse confirms that Flexiforming can produce high-quality synthetic aviation turbine fuel with a clear route to ASTM qualification," said Denis Pchelintsev, Co-Founder, Universal Fuel Technologies. "We're positioned to support the aviation industry's urgent need for cost-effective synthetic aviation turbine fuel that doesn't compromise on performance or safety."

Following Unifuel’s D4054 Clearinghouse acceptance, the company will proceed with producing larger fuel samples for detailed Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing required for ASTM qualification. The initial qualification could come as soon as the end of 2026 as a blend component with fossil jet. From there, further testing is planned, with the goal of leading to a 100% drop-in fully synthetic jet fuel in the future.

Unifuel's advancement through the qualification process is supported by Flexiforming's unique capabilities, which upgrade various renewable feedstocks—including ethanol, methanol, renewable naphthas, and liquefied petroleum gas—into high-quality SAF. In ethanol-to-jet applications, Flexiforming uses 75% less energy and 33% less hydrogen than other processes, cutting production costs by up to 50%. The technology is also valuable as a complementary process, upgrading low-value naphtha byproduct from HEFA and Fischer-Tropsch processes into high-value aromatic SAF, creating new revenue opportunities for renewable fuel producers.

To learn more about Unifuel’s journey toward revolutionizing sustainable fuel production, visit unifuel.tech.

About Universal Fuel Technologies

Universal Fuel Technologies is a technology licensing company committed to advancing sustainable fuel production through its Flexiforming chemical process. Cost and energy-efficient, Flexiforming converts renewable feedstocks to drop-in-ready sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), high-octane gasoline or other valuable products. Offering unparalleled flexibility in feedstock selection and scale of deployment, the company helps plant operators easily adapt to market conditions. Flexiforming is compatible with any alcohol feedstock and complements existing SAF processes by upgrading naphtha and LPG to high-value SAF. Backed by a decade of research and over 6,000 hours of testing, Universal Fuel Technologies supports the industry’s transition to renewable fuels with technology that results in fewer carbon emissions and higher revenue generation. To learn more about Universal Fuel Technologies, please visit unifuel.tech.