Cobalt-manganese catalyst turns wood into jet fuel with 83% CO conversion

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanghai Advanced Research Institute developed a cobalt-manganese catalyst on etched Beta zeolites that converts syngas from woody biomass into sustainable aviation fuel. Tests showed 83% carbon monoxide conversion and 67% selectivity toward jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons, with a 1,000-tonne pilot confirming scalability.

• CO conversion reached 83%, with 67% of hydrocarbons in the jet-fuel range
• Yield exceeded 5.15 grams of product per gram of cobalt per hour
• A 1,000-tonne pilot validated real-world woody biomass syngas
• Planned 100,000-tonne Sichuan plant targets $302M revenue by 2028 at ~55% margin