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.