Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Facility Development and Delivery Intensive Course

Course Introduction

Sustainable aviation fuel production is becoming an important component of the aviation industry's strategy to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, diversify energy supply, and support the transition toward lower-carbon air transport. Developing production facilities requires the integration of feedstock supply chains, conversion technologies, hydrogen and energy systems, refining infrastructure, product certification, environmental controls, and aviation fuel distribution networks. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Facility Development and Delivery Intensive Course provides professionals with a comprehensive understanding of how sustainable aviation fuel facilities are conceived, engineered, financed, constructed, commissioned, and prepared for commercial operation. Participants will examine the technical, commercial, regulatory, environmental, and project management requirements that influence successful facility delivery and long-term production performance.

Sustainable aviation fuel facilities can use different production pathways depending on feedstock availability, technology maturity, product specifications, local infrastructure, and commercial objectives. These pathways include hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, alcohol-to-jet, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, and emerging power-to-liquid approaches using renewable electricity, hydrogen, and suitable carbon sources. Each pathway presents distinct requirements for feedstock pretreatment, conversion, separation, upgrading, hydrogen supply, utilities, wastewater management, emissions control, and product finishing. Participants will explore how to translate a selected production pathway into a coherent process design, assess technology readiness, define equipment requirements, evaluate utility demand, and coordinate interfaces between process units and supporting infrastructure.

Feedstock security and sustainability are central to the commercial viability and environmental performance of sustainable aviation fuel projects. Waste oils, used cooking oils, animal fats, agricultural residues, forestry residues, municipal waste-derived intermediates, alcohol-based feedstocks, and synthetic carbon sources may have different supply characteristics, conversion requirements, traceability obligations, and environmental implications. Participants will examine feedstock availability assessments, supplier qualification, logistics planning, pretreatment requirements, competing uses, price volatility, and sustainability certification considerations. The course also addresses the importance of demonstrating credible lifecycle emissions reductions, maintaining chain-of-custody records, and preventing environmental claims from exceeding the evidence available for the feedstock, production pathway, and final fuel.

Delivering a sustainable aviation fuel production facility requires close coordination across process engineering, civil and structural works, mechanical equipment, piping, electrical systems, instrumentation, control systems, storage facilities, hydrogen infrastructure, and product export arrangements. Project teams must manage long-lead equipment, technology licensing, engineering interfaces, construction sequencing, hazardous-area requirements, quality assurance, and commissioning dependencies. Participants will learn how to structure integrated project schedules, define package boundaries, coordinate engineering contractors and equipment vendors, manage design changes, control construction interfaces, and prepare systems for safe start-up. Particular emphasis is placed on process safety, management of flammable materials, high-temperature operations, pressure systems, hydrogen hazards, and the prevention of unresolved construction or instrumentation issues from affecting commissioning readiness.

Commercial operation depends on producing fuel that meets applicable aviation fuel specifications, verifying product quality, establishing reliable blending and logistics arrangements, and maintaining consistent production performance. Sustainable aviation fuel facilities must coordinate laboratory testing, product certification, storage compatibility, blending requirements, transport interfaces, and quality assurance with downstream fuel suppliers, airports, airlines, and other commercial counterparties. Participants will explore commissioning strategies, performance testing, mass and energy balances, process reliability, product quality verification, environmental monitoring, and operational handover. The course also examines evolving policy incentives, sustainable aviation fuel mandates, carbon accounting frameworks, book-and-claim approaches where applicable, digital traceability, and the commercial implications of changing aviation decarbonization requirements.

By completing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Facility Development and Delivery Intensive Course, participants will be better equipped to manage sustainable aviation fuel projects from early feasibility through engineering, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness. They will develop practical capabilities in process technology assessment, feedstock integration, project controls, contractor coordination, safety assurance, sustainability verification, product quality management, and facility performance optimization. The programme supports professionals seeking to deliver technically robust, commercially viable, environmentally responsible, and operationally reliable sustainable aviation fuel infrastructure that contributes to aviation decarbonization while maintaining stringent fuel quality and safety requirements.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Project directors and project managers responsible for developing sustainable aviation fuel production facilities, renewable fuel plants, and industrial decarbonization infrastructure.

• Process engineers involved in feedstock pretreatment, hydroprocessing, alcohol-to-jet conversion, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, product upgrading, separation, and refining operations.

• Chemical engineers responsible for process design, reaction systems, hydrogen integration, mass and energy balances, process simulation, and production optimization.

• Mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, and control engineers coordinating equipment installation, utility systems, process control, hazardous-area requirements, and engineering interfaces.

• Construction managers and site supervisors overseeing civil works, structural steel, equipment erection, piping installation, electrical works, and contractor coordination.

• Commissioning managers and engineers responsible for mechanical completion, pre-commissioning, functional testing, process start-up, performance verification, and operational handover.

• Feedstock procurement and supply-chain professionals responsible for sourcing, qualification, logistics, storage, pretreatment, traceability, and supplier performance.

• Aviation fuel specialists and downstream fuel professionals involved in product specifications, blending, storage, transportation, certification, and airport fuel supply integration.

• Sustainability, environmental, and carbon accounting specialists responsible for lifecycle emissions assessment, feedstock eligibility, environmental compliance, certification, and sustainability reporting.

• Health, safety, and process safety professionals responsible for hydrogen systems, flammable materials, pressure equipment, hazardous chemicals, emergency response, and operational risk management.

• Project controls professionals managing integrated schedules, cost forecasting, risk registers, change control, contractor performance, and commissioning milestone tracking.

• Procurement and contract management professionals coordinating technology licensors, engineering contractors, equipment manufacturers, feedstock suppliers, and construction service providers.

• Quality assurance and laboratory specialists responsible for sampling, fuel testing, product specifications, process quality control, and compliance documentation.

• Commercial, investment, and business development professionals evaluating project economics, offtake agreements, feedstock contracts, financing, policy incentives, and market access.

• Consultants and technical advisers supporting sustainable aviation fuel feasibility studies, process integration, project assurance, commissioning, certification, and operational improvement.

Course Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of sustainable aviation fuel production pathways, facility components, feedstock requirements, product specifications, and project delivery considerations.

• Evaluate hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, alcohol-to-jet, Fischer–Tropsch, and power-to-liquid pathways according to technology maturity, feedstock availability, infrastructure requirements, and commercial objectives.

• Translate production targets into process flow diagrams, equipment specifications, utility requirements, storage capacity, hydrogen demand, and integrated facility design requirements.

• Assess feedstock availability, quality, pretreatment needs, supplier reliability, logistics, traceability, and sustainability characteristics before finalizing facility development assumptions.

• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering interfaces involving conversion units, hydrogen systems, utilities, wastewater treatment, storage, product finishing, control systems, and export infrastructure.

• Apply project management techniques for integrated scheduling, cost control, procurement planning, contractor coordination, technical change management, and commissioning readiness.

• Integrate process safety, fire protection, hazardous-area classification, hydrogen risk management, pressure-system integrity, and emergency response into facility development and start-up planning.

• Establish commissioning strategies covering mechanical completion, equipment inspections, control verification, process trials, product testing, performance acceptance, and operational handover.

• Develop performance verification methods for throughput, yield, energy consumption, hydrogen use, product quality, emissions, waste generation, and production reliability.

• Strengthen sustainability assurance through lifecycle emissions assessment, feedstock traceability, chain-of-custody documentation, certification requirements, and responsible environmental reporting.

• Coordinate product quality, blending, storage, transportation, and commercial interfaces to ensure that finished fuel meets applicable specifications and downstream acceptance requirements.

• Prepare an integrated sustainable aviation fuel facility delivery roadmap incorporating project governance, technical interfaces, risk controls, commercial readiness, compliance obligations, and continuous improvement.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Facility Development

• Examine the sustainable aviation fuel value chain, including feedstock sourcing, conversion, upgrading, product finishing, storage, blending, distribution, and aviation fuel supply.

• Compare sustainable aviation fuel with conventional jet fuel and other aviation decarbonization options while examining lifecycle emissions, technical compatibility, and deployment considerations.

• Identify the major production facility components, including feedstock reception, pretreatment, conversion units, hydrogen systems, separation equipment, utilities, storage, and environmental controls.

• Evaluate the relationships between production capacity, feedstock availability, technology selection, capital investment, operating costs, product quality, and long-term commercial viability.

Module 2: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Pathways and Technology Selection

• Examine the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids pathway, including lipid feedstock pretreatment, hydrotreatment, deoxygenation, isomerization, fractionation, and product finishing.

• Explore alcohol-to-jet conversion, including alcohol feedstock requirements, dehydration, oligomerization, hydrogenation, separation, and upgrading to suitable aviation fuel components.

• Examine Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and power-to-liquid pathways, including syngas preparation, synthesis reactions, renewable hydrogen, carbon sourcing, and hydrocarbon upgrading.

• Compare pathway maturity, feedstock flexibility, energy demand, process complexity, technology licensing, expected yields, and infrastructure requirements when selecting a facility configuration.

Module 3: Feedstock Assessment, Sourcing, and Supply Chain Integration

• Assess feedstock availability, geographic distribution, seasonal variability, competing uses, supplier capacity, quality characteristics, and long-term supply reliability.

• Develop sourcing strategies for used cooking oils, waste fats, agricultural residues, forestry residues, suitable alcohols, and other feedstocks relevant to the selected production pathway.

• Establish supplier qualification, sampling, acceptance criteria, storage requirements, contamination control, traceability, and material documentation procedures.

• Integrate feedstock collection, preprocessing, transport, inventory management, storage capacity, supplier contracts, and contingency arrangements into facility operating plans.

Module 4: Feedstock Pretreatment and Process Preparation

• Examine pretreatment requirements for lipid feedstocks, including filtration, degumming where applicable, moisture control, impurity removal, and preparation for downstream conversion.

• Evaluate the preparation of alcohol, biomass-derived intermediates, syngas, and other pathway-specific feedstocks according to the selected technology configuration.

• Assess the effects of feedstock variability, contaminants, metals, water, solids, and other impurities on catalyst performance, equipment reliability, conversion efficiency, and product quality.

• Develop process control and quality assurance procedures for feedstock inspection, pretreatment performance, material storage, transfer operations, and release to conversion units.

Module 5: Process Design, Mass Balances, and Equipment Selection

• Develop process flow diagrams, preliminary process descriptions, material balances, and energy balances for integrated sustainable aviation fuel production facilities.

• Translate process requirements into equipment specifications for reactors, separators, heat exchangers, distillation columns, pumps, compressors, filters, tanks, and associated systems.

• Assess process simulation outputs, equipment sizing assumptions, operating pressures, temperatures, residence times, and performance requirements during concept and detailed design.

• Coordinate process design with plant layout, maintainability, access, equipment lifting requirements, piping arrangements, instrumentation, and operational safety.

Module 6: Hydrogen Supply, Utilities, and Energy Integration

• Evaluate hydrogen demand, supply options, compression, storage, distribution, purity requirements, and operating interfaces for pathways involving hydrogen consumption.

• Examine renewable hydrogen production and delivery options where relevant, including electrolyzer interfaces, electrical supply, water requirements, compression, and integration with plant operations.

• Assess steam, electricity, cooling water, process water, compressed air, fuel gas, wastewater treatment, and other utility requirements across the production facility.

• Develop utility integration strategies that improve energy efficiency, manage peak demand, recover suitable process heat, and maintain reliable operation under variable operating conditions.

Module 7: Product Upgrading, Separation, and Aviation Fuel Quality

• Examine hydrocarbon upgrading, fractionation, separation, finishing, and blending processes required to produce suitable sustainable aviation fuel components.

• Understand the importance of applicable aviation fuel specifications, approved production pathways, component blending limits, and relevant qualification or certification requirements.

• Establish product sampling, laboratory testing, contamination prevention, storage compatibility, and batch release procedures to protect fuel quality.

• Coordinate product quality requirements with fuel suppliers, blending facilities, distribution operators, airlines, and other downstream stakeholders before commercial delivery.

Module 8: Facility Layout, Engineering Interfaces, and Infrastructure Integration

• Develop facility layouts that coordinate process units, feedstock reception, chemical storage, hydrogen systems, utility corridors, tank farms, control rooms, access routes, and emergency facilities.

• Define engineering interfaces among process packages, equipment vendors, technology licensors, civil works, structural systems, electrical distribution, instrumentation, and control systems.

• Establish interface registers, battery limits, technical data exchange procedures, design review schedules, and responsibility matrices for multidisciplinary project coordination.

• Evaluate constructability, equipment access, hazardous-area separation, maintenance clearances, tie-in points, transport logistics, and future expansion requirements during design development.

Module 9: Process Safety, Fire Protection, and Hazardous Operations

• Identify hazards involving hydrogen, flammable hydrocarbons, high-temperature processes, pressure equipment, catalysts, chemicals, hot surfaces, and confined spaces.

• Apply appropriate process hazard assessment methods, including HAZID, HAZOP, layers of protection analysis, and other risk assessment techniques suitable for facility complexity.

• Integrate hazardous-area classification, gas detection, ventilation, fire protection, emergency shutdown systems, pressure relief, containment, and safe isolation into facility design.

• Establish safety management procedures for construction, equipment testing, catalyst handling, chemical introduction, start-up, shutdown, abnormal operation, and emergency response.

Module 10: Environmental Management and Sustainability Assurance

• Identify environmental considerations involving air emissions, wastewater, solid residues, chemical handling, noise, water consumption, energy use, and potential contamination.

• Develop environmental management systems covering emissions control, wastewater treatment, waste segregation, spill prevention, monitoring, reporting, and corrective actions.

• Examine lifecycle greenhouse gas assessment, feedstock eligibility, land-use considerations, indirect impacts where applicable, and the importance of transparent sustainability assumptions.

• Establish documentation and traceability arrangements to support applicable sustainability certification, regulatory reporting, chain-of-custody requirements, and responsible environmental claims.

Module 11: Procurement, Construction, and Contractor Coordination

• Develop procurement strategies for process technology packages, reactors, separation equipment, hydrogen systems, storage tanks, rotating equipment, control systems, and environmental infrastructure.

• Coordinate vendor data, technical specifications, manufacturing inspections, factory acceptance testing, equipment preservation, delivery logistics, and construction readiness.

• Integrate civil works, structural construction, equipment erection, piping, electrical installation, instrumentation, utilities, and safety systems within the master project schedule.

• Establish contractor coordination procedures for interface management, work permits, quality inspections, nonconformance resolution, progress reporting, change control, and construction risk management.

Module 12: Mechanical Completion and Pre-Commissioning

• Develop systemization and turnover strategies that divide the facility into manageable systems and subsystems with defined inspection and acceptance boundaries.

• Verify equipment installation, piping integrity, valve orientation, lubrication, alignment, electrical connections, instrumentation calibration, and supporting documentation.

• Coordinate pre-commissioning activities such as flushing, cleaning, leak testing, continuity checks, instrument verification, utility readiness, and functional testing where appropriate.

• Manage punch lists, construction defects, system turnover certificates, vendor support, outstanding work, preservation requirements, and authorization to progress into commissioning.

Module 13: Commissioning, Start-Up, and Process Stabilization

• Develop integrated commissioning sequences covering utilities, control systems, equipment packages, process systems, environmental controls, and operating procedures.

• Verify alarms, interlocks, permissives, emergency shutdown logic, control loops, equipment sequencing, communications, and response to abnormal operating conditions.

• Plan controlled feed introduction, process start-up, catalyst or reagent readiness where applicable, operating parameter adjustment, and stabilization of conversion and separation systems.

• Establish procedures for troubleshooting, commissioning deviation management, corrective actions, retesting, performance documentation, and authorization to advance between start-up stages.

Module 14: Performance Testing, Product Certification, and Operational Acceptance

• Develop performance testing protocols for feedstock throughput, conversion yield, product recovery, energy consumption, hydrogen use, operating availability, and waste generation.

• Establish mass balance and reconciliation methods that connect incoming feedstock, intermediate streams, finished fuel, by-products, losses, and waste outputs.

• Coordinate laboratory analysis and product quality verification to demonstrate conformity with applicable aviation fuel specifications and relevant contractual acceptance criteria.

• Prepare performance acceptance reports documenting test conditions, assumptions, measurement uncertainty, equipment guarantees, deviations, corrective actions, and final acceptance decisions.

Module 15: Commercial Readiness, Offtake, and Lifecycle Operations

• Examine commercial structures involving feedstock supply agreements, technology licensing, engineering and construction contracts, fuel offtake agreements, blending arrangements, and distribution partnerships.

• Evaluate project economics through capital expenditure, operating costs, feedstock pricing, energy costs, yield assumptions, product premiums, policy incentives, and sensitivity analysis.

• Develop operational readiness plans covering staffing, operator training, maintenance systems, spare parts, laboratory services, supplier support, inventory controls, and emergency response.

• Establish operational performance monitoring for throughput, yield, product quality, energy efficiency, equipment reliability, maintenance performance, environmental compliance, and continuous improvement.

Module 16: Emerging Technologies and Integrated SAF Facility Delivery Capstone

• Examine emerging developments in advanced biofuel conversion, synthetic aviation fuels, renewable hydrogen, carbon sourcing, process electrification, digital twins, and advanced process optimization.

• Assess evolving aviation decarbonization policies, sustainable fuel requirements, carbon accounting, international fuel certification, traceability systems, and market development.

• Complete an integrated case study covering pathway selection, feedstock supply, process design, hydrogen integration, engineering interfaces, construction planning, commissioning, and commercial readiness.

• Present a comprehensive facility delivery plan incorporating project governance, interface responsibilities, risk management, environmental assurance, commissioning criteria, product quality, and long-term operational performance.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.