Microalgae as Sustainable Aviation Fuel — Virgotech's Progress Report

Aviation and shipping together account for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions — and unlike road transport, these industries have very limited options for electrification. The development of sustainable, drop-in replacement fuels is therefore one of the most urgent challenges in the global decarbonization effort.

Virgotech's microalgae biofuel research program — now entering its fifth year — is focused squarely on this challenge. Our approach centers on the cultivation of high-lipid microalgae strains using solar energy, followed by lipid extraction and conversion into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and marine fuel through a proprietary biorefinery process.

Microalgae offer several significant advantages over conventional biofuel feedstocks. They grow rapidly — doubling their biomass in as little as 24 hours under optimal conditions. They do not compete with food crops for agricultural land. They can be cultivated using non-potable water. And critically, they absorb CO2 during growth — making the overall fuel lifecycle potentially carbon neutral or even carbon negative.

Our research team has achieved a lipid yield of 42% of dry biomass weight in our lead strain — a figure that compares favorably with the best results reported in peer-reviewed literature. We have also made significant progress in reducing the energy cost of the dewatering and extraction process — historically one of the main barriers to commercial viability.

Virgotech is currently in discussions with two major aviation partners regarding a pilot-scale production facility that would produce sufficient SAF to power approximately 500 transatlantic flights per year. We anticipate announcing a formal partnership agreement before the end of 2025.

The path to commercial-scale microalgae biofuel production remains challenging — but Virgotech's progress demonstrates clearly that it is achievable. Nature has always known how to store solar energy in chemical form. Our job is simply to simulate that process more efficiently.