EUBCE 2026 - Rim ISMAIL - Environmental Assessment of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) Based Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Used Cooking Oil

Environmental Assessment of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) Based Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Used Cooking Oil

Short Introductive summary

The aviation sector contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for over 1.26% of total fossil CO2 emissions. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as a viable strategy to reduce these emissions. This study conducts a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of jet fuel production via the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway using Used Cooking Oil (UCO) as a feedstock. The assessment focuses on energy inputs and catalyst contributions within a cradle-to-gate system boundary, employing the GaBi platform and the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method. Three scenarios were assessed: (1) hydrogen from steam methane reforming (SMR) with Qatar grid electricity, (2) green hydrogen from renewable electrolysis, and (3) SMR hydrogen with U.S. grid electricity. Results show that hydrogen sourcing dominates environmental performance. Replacing fossil hydrogen with renewable electrolysis reduces total greenhouse gas emissions by 46%, achieving a global warming potential (GWP) of 15.9 g CO2-eq per MJ of fuel compared to 29.7 g CO2-eq in the base case. Catalyst synthesis, particularly NiMo/Al2O3 and Pt/Al2O3, contribute to toxicity and resource deplet

R. Ismail, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Alrayyan, QATAR
M. Alherbawi, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Alrayyan, QATAR
S. Mariyam, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Alrayyan, QATAR
T. Al-Ansari, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Alrayyan, QATAR