Naphtha Nonsense No More: SAF Gets Its Spark

Flexiforming converts HEFA naphtha into aromatic SAF, enabling a 100% synthetic, drop-in jet fuel blend at potentially half current SAF costs

6 May 2026

A US technology company says it has found a way to make jet fuel entirely from biological sources, removing the need for any fossil inputs. Universal Fuel Technologies announced on 17 March 2026 that independent testing by Washington State University had confirmed its Flexiforming process could produce a blend of synthetic fuels that meets all standard aviation requirements.

Aviation's most widely used SAF production method, known as HEFA, generates only paraffinic fuel components. Aircraft, however, require between 8 and 25 per cent aromatics, a different class of hydrocarbons, to function safely. Until now, that gap has been filled by conventional, fossil-derived jet fuel.

Researchers at WSU's Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory tested a blend of 16 per cent aromatic and 84 per cent paraffinic SAF under industry-standard screening protocols. All key benchmarks were met: density, viscosity, freeze point, and flash point.

Cost projections strengthen the commercial case.

Universal Fuel Technologies estimates Flexiforming can produce aromatic SAF at around $3.40 per gallon at commercial scale, against the $6 to $7 per gallon airlines currently pay for SAF and $2 to $3.50 for conventional jet fuel. Designed as a modular addition to existing HEFA plants, it also converts naphtha, a byproduct accounting for up to 20 per cent of plant output that has historically held low value, into a higher-margin product.

Full certification under ASTM D7566 standards and commercial-scale deployment remain some years away. Cost projections depend on that process succeeding.

US SAF production roughly doubled between late 2024 and early 2025, with more capacity continuing to come online. Producers have been looking for ways to improve project returns and increase output within existing plants. Whether Flexiforming can meet that need at scale will depend on what certification reveals.