TITAN next generation ethanol and the decarbonisation of our skies

Revised: Steve Walker 20.04.2025

TITAN: Next-Generation Ethanol and the Decarbonisation of Our Skies

As aviation and transport fuel regulations tighten across Europe, second-generation ethanol (2G EtOH) has emerged as a cornerstone in the EU’s clean fuel strategy. At the heart of this transition is TITAN, a bio-engineering platform that transforms forest waste into renewable fuel, replacing petroleum-based inputs with high-value, low-emission alternatives.

TITAN is not just a plant — it is a statement of intent. It reflects a deep commitment to energy sovereignty, local feedstock utilisation, and a truly circular economy. It also represents a strategic leap forward for Poland’s aviation sector, offering a domestic solution to one of Europe’s most urgent climate compliance challenges.

2G Ethanol: The Core of TITAN’s Mission

TITAN’s primary objective is the production of advanced, non-food-based 2G EtOH, sourced entirely from waste forest biomass. This includes residues left on the forest floor, non-virgin woody biomass, and materials historically destined for landfilling or low-grade combustion.

Using a proprietary Hydrogen Producer Gas (HPG) to Targeted Microbial Fermentation (TMF) process, TITAN extracts renewable carbon and hydrogen from biomass, converting it into 2G EtOH with near-zero refinery emissions and no fossil fuel input. The platform’s dual HPG island architecture ensures continuous and decentralised gas supply for both electricity/heat and fermentation feedstock.

This modular structure allows TITAN to function as a standalone, grid-independent, smoke-free, zero-coal facility, setting a new benchmark for carbon-negative industrial energy systems.

SAF Rollout and the Alcohol-to-Jet Pathway

The second phase of TITAN’s rollout will focus on producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) pathway. The AtJ process refines TITAN’s 2G ethanol into Jet-A1 compliant, drop-in aviation fuel, ready to blend at refuelling depots across Europe. The first ten TITAN installations produce enough 2G EtOH to supply an AtJ refinery producing Jet-A1 and Biodeisel

This development is perfectly aligned with the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, which mandates all EU airports begin blending sustainable aviation fuels starting at 2% in 2025, rising to 6% in 2030, 20% by 2035, and 28% by 2050. Airlines that do not comply must pay penalties.

TITAN’s SAF production will therefore not only enable Polish airlines to comply — it will allow them to lead. By producing SAF locally, Poland can secure its own fuel supply, reduce its carbon intensity per flight, and offer intercontinental connections from a net-zero baseline.

After AI – Warm Robots

The Machines That Heal—and the Circular Economy They’re Building

She looks almost human. Porcelain skin, careful eyes, anatomical symmetry—delicate, not threatening. A beautiful contradiction. The image evokes a future we’ve long imagined: robots that walk beside us, feel with us, care for us.

But this isn’t the warm robot we meant.

Because the real warm robots—ours—don’t smile or stand. They don’t blink, speak, or age.
They are microbes.
Alive, invisible, programmable.

They live in tanks. They breathe carbon. They manufacture the building blocks of the post-pollution world: fuels, chemicals, nutrients, and materials. And now, aided by generative AI, they are evolving—stacking complexity, mimicking natural processes, and operating with the efficiency of the human brain and the regenerative elegance of skin and bone.

We call this new capability Industrial Lifestacking.
It’s not robotics. It’s regeneration.
Not imitation—but biological infrastructure, scaled.

The Living Stack

Long before artificial intelligence could speak, microbes were building. While generative models were still learning language, fermentation vessels were already producing ethanol, biodegradable polymers, and essential proteins from nothing more than carbon waste and biological design.

What makes this possible is a structure we call the Living Stack—a three-layered system that turns industrial chaos into organic precision:

AI serves as the design layer, where biological systems are mapped, metabolic pathways are simulated, and yield efficiency is optimised.
Gene Editing functions as the software layer, rewriting microbial DNA to perform intentional functions—from synthesising alcohols to building amino acid chains.
Targeted Microbial Fermentation (TMF) forms the hardware layer, where gas-fed microbes in controlled environments transform design and code into physical product.

This stack doesn’t run on electricity alone. It runs on carbon. It doesn’t output noise or abstraction. It outputs life.

From Waste to Sovereignty Alternatives – Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) Cells

From Waste to Sovereignty: How TITAN and ASMARA Build Europe’s New Biomanufacturing Landscape

TITAN and ASMARA are not just platforms for converting waste into energy. They are flexible, modular bio-manufacturing hubs designed to anchor a new industrial landscape—one built on sovereignty, sustainability, and regional regeneration.

At their core is a powerful integration of Hydrogen Producer Gas (HPG) and Targeted Microbial Fermentation (TMF)—a pairing that unlocks the ability to produce a vast spectrum of high-value outputs: fuels, bioplastics, chemicals, proteins, and even advanced medical bioproducts like CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells.

But more importantly, these platforms offer a way to reindustrialise rural Europe, create high-quality employment in overlooked regions, and reduce the continent’s dependence on imported fuels, chemicals, and biopharmaceutical precursors.

Syngas Project Pioneering Solutions for a Healthier Future

 Mr Hyde

Reclaiming Insulin Sovereignty: TITAN and ASMARA Platforms for Mass Biomanufacturing in Europe

Breaking the Cartel: Insulin, Inequality, and the Opportunity for European Leadership

At the heart of the global diabetes crisis lies a quiet but devastating monopoly: a life-saving medicine held hostage by a handful of manufacturers. Despite insulin being off-patent for decades, just three global pharmaceutical giants dominate the market—dictating pricing, supply, and access. This concentration of control has limited the availability of affordable insulin, especially in regions already under economic pressure.

In the United States, insulin prices have soared beyond reason. Europe, including Poland and other Central and Eastern European nations, now faces similar systemic risks: rising diabetes rates, increasing healthcare costs, and inadequate local production capacity. But amid this crisis lies a chance to rewrite the pharmaceutical supply chain—through a bold, sovereign European solution: the TITAN and ASMARA platforms.

The Insulin Crisis: A Manufactured Scarcity

Insulin is not a rare or exotic molecule. It has been biosynthesised for over 40 years using recombinant DNA technology. The science is well-understood. The demand is clear. And yet, millions of people globally still struggle to access it due to pricing structures, regulatory lock-ins, and lack of local production.

  • Patients ration insulin to make it last—resulting in amputations, blindness, kidney failure, and death.
  • Governments overspend on cartel-priced imports—diverting budgets from prevention and education.
  • Local biomanufacturing is nearly nonexistent—especially in rural or post-industrial regions where new health infrastructure is most needed.

Europe’s current strategy, relying on imports and foreign-owned production, offers no resilience, no price control, and no autonomy.

TITAN and ASMARA: A Platform for Pharmaceutical Sovereignty

The TITAN (rural) and ASMARA (urban) platforms are not pharma factories in the traditional sense. They are modular, circular, multi-output bio-industrial systems. Originally designed to transform biomass and waste into hydrogen producer gas (HPG) and ethanol, these platforms now represent the future of distributed biomanufacturing—including insulin.

Each platform features:

  • Renewable, 24-hour power and heat, generated from local waste streams
  • Targeted Microbial Fermentation (TMF) stations, already capable of industrial protein synthesis
  • CO₂-ready infrastructure for enhanced fermentation using waste or captured carbon
  • A scalable, cookie-cutter design that enables low-cost replication across the EU

By adding a dedicated pharmaceutical-grade fermentation unit, any TITAN or ASMARA site can pivot to produce biosynthetic insulin using engineered microbial strains like E. coli or yeast—in clean, stable, sovereign-controlled conditions.

This isn’t hypothetical. TITAN’s ethanol lines already handle 50,000 litres per day. The same bioreactors and feedstock management protocols can be adapted to pharmaceutical production with minimal redesign.

Amidst the Threat of War: “Polands SAF Urgency is Overshadowed by NATO Front-Line Energy Security”

Ask AI No.3: Syngas Projects  AI-Driven “Executive Strategy”: Shouldn’t we be Accelerating TITAN Deployment Amid Geopolitical Pressures and the threat of war? 

TITAN, developed by Syngas Project, stands at the forefront of a strategic energy shift, playing a pivotal role in addressing Poland’s future energy needs and fortifying NATO’s eastern flank amid escalating geopolitical pressures. TITAN, a groundbreaking platform, converts forest and wood waste through Hydrogen Producers Gas + Microbial Fermentation, on one platform to produce Second Generation Ethanol (2G EtOH). The platform’s innovative approach, replacing outdated Fischer-Tropsch technology, aligns with modern environmental standards. The decision to expedite TITAN’s deployment, driven by AI’s counsel, reflects a commitment to meet Poland’s 2030 REpowerEU, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) requirements and secure energy independence, simultaneously contributing to NATO’s regional security objectives. The pursuit of 40 TITAN units ensures a resilient, decarbonised aviation future for Poland and a strategic response to evolving geopolitical challenges.

The way AI is transforming our business is how we are transforming our industry

Ammonia Apocalypse: “Tackling Looming Crisis Amidst EU Farmer Strikes”

Syngas AI Series No. 2: Fixing the Ammonia Dilemma Amidst Geo-Political Turmoil

As global tensions rise with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the repercussions have extended beyond geopolitical borders, impacting the delicate balance of resource supply and demand. One significant casualty has been the supply of natural gas, a lifeline for many nations, particularly affecting the agricultural sector in Poland and its reliance on ammonia for food production. In this edition, we explore how the Syngas Project’s TITAN platform, coupled with microbial fermentation of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, can offer a sustainable solution to the ammonia dilemma.

The Struggle for Ammonia Supply

The conflict’s ripple effect has been felt keenly in Poland, where sanctions have constrained the supply of natural gas, subsequently affecting ammonia availability for farmers. Ammonia is a vital component for fertiliser production, crucial for sustaining scaled agricultural productivity and ensuring food security.

The way AI is transforming our business is how we are transforming our industry

Resilient Landscapes: Navigating National Forest Reserves

Steve Walker 23.10.2023

In the ever-evolving narrative of climate change, Poland’s National Forest Reserves stand as vital guardians of biodiversity and sustainable resource utilisation. Within this intricate tapestry, Syngas Project, through its visionary initiatives “Reach” and “Cache”, is orchestrating a symphony of resilience. This extended exploration uncovers the strategic dance between Syngas Project and Poland’s National Forest Reserves, highlighting the symbiosis between forest management and climate-induced events.

Poland’s National Forest Reserves: Balancing Conservation and Utilization

Before we delve into the intricate strategies of “Reach” and “Cache,” it’s crucial to appreciate the unique character of Poland’s National Forest Reserves. These reserves, vital for preserving biodiversity, are also strategic sources of forest products. Yet, the delicate equilibrium between conservation and utilisation requires careful consideration, especially in the face of temporary disruptions caused by severe weather events.

Understanding Delayed Clear-Cutting: A Balanced Perspective

In the grand scheme of forest management, the delayed clear-cutting dilemma is not a norm but a calculated response to the temporary impact of severe weather events. This delayed harvesting, often prompted by storms, is a risk-mitigation strategy. It allows forest management authorities to adapt and preserve the resilience of the National Forest Reserves, recognizing that these weather events are temporary disruptions rather than perpetual obstacles.

Reach: Extending Syngas Project’s Influence Beyond Boundaries

Within this nuanced context, the Reach initiative becomes a strategic tool for Syngas Project. By harnessing Poland’s extensive electric railway infrastructure and TITAN’s capacity to generate extra carbon-positive electricity on demand, Reach facilitates the acquisition of biomass from various National Forest Reserves. The delayed clear-cutting in one reserve, resulting from a storm, transforms into an opportunity for Syngas Project to strategically acquire biomass from another reserve, thus aligning forest management practices with transient climate-induced events.

How Dark Hydrogen became the New Green

The “new green hydrogen” is “dark bio-hydrogen”, so called after the dark fermentation bio-manufacturing process which creates it green because its manufacture and existence are entirely organic, renewable and waterless. 

We choose to go to the moon JFK 1962 Moonshot Speech
60 years on from JFK moonshot speech

One small step ahead of carbon capture and storage CCS replacing it instead with capture and transformation CCT, thus taking the capture and recycling of waste carbon to the next level is a giant leap for mankind. 60 years on from JFK’s moonshot speech and on its anniversary Joe Biden announced the cure for cancer is the new moonshot and its through bio-technology transformation that will get us there.

TITAN and ASMARA incorporate two technologies on one platform, waste to hydrogen producer gas + microbial fermentation to manufacture fuel, chemical and material products. CCT is a well-proven process for recycling both the carbon at the smoke stack, in the waste we produce and in the waste we throw away as it is for the carbon we have already produced. We are presented with a truly value-added proposition because recycling the carbon we already have obviates the need to dig up more carbon. Through converting solid waste into producer’s gas and CCT emission technology to recycle carbon in the producer’s gas through, microbial fermentation, we can reproduce all of the products we currently manufacture from oil and gas, where the likes of transport fuels, plastics and fertilisers are produced with far less environmental impact. In manufacturing, this great array of products as an added bonus, large quantities of waterless green hydrogen is recovered as a byproduct.        

Dark bio-hydrogen presents a disruptive edge to the idea of hydrogen as an energy carrier because it does not burden our ever-depleting water supply, instead, hydrogen is recovered from changing the state of organic feedstock through a proprietary, bio-manufacturing process where carbon-rich waste biomass or bio-waste is transformed from solid state to a gaseous state and as a feedstock for fermentation.