The potential of pennycress cultivation as a cover crop for sustainable aviation fuel production: A techno-economic analysis in Ohio

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are expected to help curb the rising emissions levels resulting from aircraft operations. Further exploration of potential feedstock and production pathways that would help increase the projected SAFs production targets is critical. This study therefore explores the potential production of winter pennycress in Ohio for the purpose of SAF production. While SAF production pathways involving fast pyrolysis process are still being explored for certification, the study analyzes the economics of the investors to increase the oil output by processing the pennycress meal using the fast pyrolysis process. Using a techno-economic approach both 20- and 30-year investment scenarios are explored for production of both Hydrotreated Renewable Jet (HRJ) and Hydrotreated Renewable Diesel (HRD) fuels. The oilseed production cost is found to range between $111.28/MT to $427.16/MT with a median price of $160.66/MT. The breakeven price of refined pennycress oil ranges between $0.58/liter and $0.60/liter depending on several factors. The stochastic breakeven price of HRJ is between $1.41/liter and $1.52/liter while that of HRD fuel ranges between $1.40/liter and $1.52/liter; the ranges are a result of various economic assumptions incorporated in the study including the investment length and the hydrogen source. Although some of these costs were partially offset by processing of the pennycress oilseed meal to yield biochar and bio-oil as by-products, the investment of pyrolysis facility to process these by-products and further process the bio-oil to be readily processed towards HRJ or HRD fuel product resulted into elevated prices of the fuel products.