A Houston Experiment Hints at Lower-Cost Jet Fuel

Universal Fuel's Flexiforming shows promise in cutting SAF costs, but scaling and certification hurdles remain

26 Mar 2025

A small pilot plant outside Houston has drawn fresh attention in the race to clean up aviation. Universal Fuel Technologies recently wrapped a five-month trial of its "Flexiforming" process, which produced sustainable jet fuel from renewable feedstocks and ran successfully in tests suitable for existing engines.

The company claims Flexiforming could slash both hydrogen use and energy demands compared with conventional ethanol-to-jet production. Internal data suggests hydrogen requirements may fall by a third, while energy use could shrink by as much as three-quarters. Depending on feedstock, that could translate into production costs up to half those of today's methods.

That kind of shift would matter. Airlines view sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, as a critical lever to cut emissions, yet supply remains thin and prices often run several times higher than fossil jet fuel. A process that lowers costs while accommodating multiple feedstocks could ease two of the biggest obstacles to wider adoption.

The caveats are clear. Universal Fuel's Houston pilot yielded only 100 liters, and its fully synthetic drop-in fuel still requires ASTM certification before commercial use. Access to low-carbon hydrogen also varies widely across the United States, potentially limiting rollout.

Even so, industry watchers are intrigued. If Flexiforming scales, it could draw new investment into commercial plants, spur competition in SAF technology, and make low-carbon fuels more attainable for carriers facing mounting climate targets. Federal incentives are already pushing aviation toward cleaner fuels, and incremental cost savings could prove decisive.

For now, the Texas project is less breakthrough than milestone. It signals that new technologies are inching closer to market and hints at how aviation might eventually reconcile the promise of sustainable flight with the realities of cost and supply.