PureSAF Selected for Singapore’s Ethanol-to-Jet Project
KBR announced on June 29, 2026 that its PureSAF technology has been selected for a proposed sustainable aviation fuel facility being developed by Keppel and Aster Chemicals and Energy on Singapore’s Jurong Island.
KBR will provide technology licensing and Front-End Engineering Design services for the project.
The proposed facility is designed to convert low-carbon ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel using an ethanol-to-jet pathway.
If developed as planned, the plant would have production capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes of SAF per year, subject to a final investment decision and regulatory approvals.
The selection moves the project beyond its earlier feasibility phase and into more detailed technical and engineering development.
Alcohol-to-Jet Offers an Alternative SAF Pathway
PureSAF was originally developed by Swedish Biofuels and has been engineered for commercial-scale deployment by KBR, which holds the exclusive worldwide licence for the technology.
Unlike the HEFA pathway, which primarily converts oils and fats into aviation fuel, ethanol-to-jet begins with alcohol and converts it through a series of chemical processing steps into hydrocarbons suitable for aviation fuel production.
For the Singapore project, low-carbon ethanol is intended to serve as the principal input.
The pathway gives developers access to a different feedstock base and could help diversify SAF production beyond technologies dependent on waste oils, vegetable oils and other lipid feedstocks.
The engineering phase will determine the final technical configuration and provide more detailed information on project costs, financing requirements and potential commercial structures.
Jurong Island Could Become a Regional SAF Production Hub
The location of the proposed facility is significant.
Jurong Island is Singapore’s main energy and chemicals manufacturing centre, providing established industrial infrastructure, logistics and access to fuel supply chains.
Keppel and Aster had already completed a feasibility study before progressing to the engineering phase, assessing the technical and commercial viability of producing SAF at the site.
The project remains under development and has not yet reached final investment decision, meaning its full commercial construction is not guaranteed.
However, selecting a specific production technology and beginning Front-End Engineering Design represents an important step toward determining whether the plant can advance to investment and construction.
If completed at its planned scale, the facility would add a new commercial ethanol-to-jet production route to Asia’s developing SAF market and demonstrate how existing industrial hubs can be adapted for new renewable fuel technologies.
Sources
KBR — PureSAF Technology Selected by Keppel and Aster for Licensing and FEED, June 29, 2026
Keppel — Keppel and Aster Collaborate on Commercial-Scale Ethanol-to-Jet SAF Facility on Jurong Island
Singapore Economic Development Board — Keppel and Aster Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project