From Grain to Jet Fuel: Kazakhstan Prepares to Launch SAF Production

Kazakhstan’s agricultural feedstock could become part of a new domestic production chain — from deep grain processing and bioethanol production to the manufacture of aviation fuel. The project for Kazakhstan’s first SAF plant has moved to a stage where the future facility will receive its technological framework and core engineering documentation.

To advance the project, KazMunayGas-Aero LLP, agro-industrial holding KazFoodProducts, and U.S. engineering and technology company KBR signed two trilateral agreements in Astana. One agreement provides for the development of a Process Design Package, which will define the basic engineering solutions for the future facility. The second enables the use of PURESAF℠ technology, incorporating an Alcohol-to-Jet process that converts alcohol-based feedstock into sustainable aviation fuel.

A key feature of the project lies in its feedstock chain. KazFoodProducts includes BioOperations, a facility specializing in deep grain processing and bioethanol production. The Alcohol-to-Jet technology makes it possible to use this alcohol-based feedstock for further SAF production, creating a direct link between Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector and the aviation industry.

The signed agreements establish the technical and legal framework required for the next stages of engineering and project development. Kellogg Brown & Root LLC (KBR) will serve as the technology partner. KBR is an international engineering and technology company headquartered in Houston, operating in the energy sector and providing advanced technology solutions in more than 80 countries.

The project is also being considered in the context of Kazakhstan’s development as an international aviation hub. Establishing domestic SAF production would allow Kazakhstan’s agricultural feedstock to become part of a higher-value aviation fuel production chain while supporting efforts to reduce the aviation sector’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.