Dondel Scales to 100,000 Tonnes of SAF in Xinjiang

Dondel has launched what it calls China's first green hydrogen CO2-to-SAF demonstration project in Yiwu County, Hami, Xinjiang. The project is planned to produce 100,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel a year. It follows a 1,000-tonne pilot and a 10,000-tonne unit now in commissioning, according to Dondel.

Hydrocarbon Engineering reported the September 20, 2026 launch on October 6, 2026. Dondel is a Yantai-based hydrogen equipment maker that entered the sector in 2018.

How Is Dondel Scaling From 1,000 Tonnes to 100,000 Tonnes?

Dondel is scaling in three stages, from a 1,000-tonne pilot to a 10,000-tonne unit to a 100,000-tonne project. Each stage is ten times larger than the last.

Xie Menghao, general manager of Dondel Energy, said the 1,000-tonne pilot passed its assessment in Meishan, Sichuan, in August 2026. An expert panel judged the technology internationally leading, according to Dondel.

The 10,000-tonne unit began commissioning in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, in October 2026. The Xinjiang project is the third step, with 100,000 tonnes of SAF planned each year.

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What Will the Xinjiang Project Include?

The Xinjiang project will combine 2 gigawatts of wind power, 50,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen, and 400,000 tonnes a year of CO2 use. Dondel plans 100,000 tonnes a year of green SAF as the final product.

Every figure here is a plan. No part of the Xinjiang plant is operating yet. The release does not name the CO2 source.

The process is simple to describe. Wind power runs electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen. The hydrogen then reacts with CO2 in a synthesis step. The product is jet fuel.

Dondel plans to invest 11 billion yuan, about US$1.6 billion at one published conversion. The company describes the full chain as carbon-negative.

How Does Xinjiang Compare With North American e-SAF Projects?

Xinjiang's planned 100,000 tonnes of SAF a year exceeds the roughly 23,000 tonnes planned at Infinium's Project Roadrunner. The North American projects below sit at different stages.

Project	Planned Capacity	Hydrogen Source	CO2 Source	Status
Dondel, Hami, Xinjiang	100,000 tonnes of SAF a year	50,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen from 2 GW of wind	Not named in the release	Launched September 20, 2026
Infinium Project Roadrunner, Pecos, Texas	About 23,000 tonnes of eSAF a year	100 MW Electric Hydrogen electrolyzer, 150 MW wind supply	Residual CO2	Under construction, production due in 2027
Twelve AirPlant One, Moses Lake, Washington	About 50,000 gallons of E-Jet SAF a year	On-site electrolyzer using water and renewable electricity	Captured CO2	Opened June 2026, producing fuel
HIF Matagorda, Texas	About 1.4 million tons of e-methanol a year, refinable into e-SAF	1.8 GW of electrolysis, about 300,000 tons of hydrogen a year	2 million tons of recycled CO2 a year	Fully permitted, engineering design complete

Twelve, a US carbon transformation company, opened AirPlant One in Moses Lake, Washington, on June 10, 2026. Hydrogen Insight reported in September 2026 that Twelve secured a credit facility of up to US$45 million.

Decarbonfuse covered Twelve's groundbreaking in Moses Lake and its license agreement with Emerging Fuels Technology.

Infinium, an eFuels developer with a plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, is building Project Roadrunner near Pecos. A 100-megawatt electrolyzer from Electric Hydrogen will supply the hydrogen. Read more on the Infinium groundbreaking and the Electric Hydrogen electrolyzer selection.

HIF Global, a Houston e-fuels developer, has fully permitted its Matagorda plant. The site plans 1.4 million tons of e-methanol a year. The e-methanol can be refined into e-SAF.

North American Developers Are Adding Other Fuel Pathways

Syzygy Plasmonics, a Houston biogas-to-SAF developer, signed a six-year offtake agreement with Trafigura in January 2026. Uniper then reserved NovaSAF capacity on October 1, 2026.

Amazon invested in GranBio, which converts forestry residue, crop stalks, and construction debris into SAF. The International Air Transport Association expects 2.4 million metric tonnes of SAF worldwide in 2026.

On the hydrogen side, Chevron is building a solar-powered electrolysis facility in California and a natural gas-based plant in Texas. Verra's carbon capture and storage methodology also earned approval from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market. See the report on Verra's CCS credits.

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Three Milestones to Watch After the Groundbreaking

Three near-term milestones will show how the scale-up path performs.

1. The 10,000-tonne unit in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, began commissioning in October 2026.
2. Construction in Hami must deliver 2 gigawatts of wind power and 50,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen.
3. Infinium's Roadrunner plant is due to start commercial production in 2027.

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