Jet Zero Australia Pty. Ltd. (Jet Zero) has officially entered the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase for its Project Ulysses, a greenfield renewable fuels facility planned for development in the Townsville State Development Area of North Queensland, Australia.
Following initial agreements in December 2024, Jet Zero finalized the award of a FEED services contract in April 2025 to Technip Energies (T.EN). If completed, the facility will produce up to 102 million liters per year of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and 11 million liters per year of renewable diesel, using Australian-sourced bioethanol as the primary feedstock, the companies confirmed in separate releases.
Scope of Work
Under the contract, T.EN will undertake a broad package of engineering services, including detailed documentation and project planning to refine both cost estimates and scheduling for the plant’s development, the company stated on April 16.
In parallel, Jet Zero confirmed the continuation of its engineering services agreement with Long Energy and Resources (Aust) Pty. Ltd. (LERA), based in Melbourne. LERA will provide project management and owner’s engineering support to ensure that the FEED work aligns with Jet Zero’s design philosophy and adheres to the terms of the FEED contract.
The combined value of the FEED contracts—estimated at A$36.8 million (US$22.1 million)—is being supported by a consortium of Jet Zero’s investors and industry partners.
Strategic and Government Support
Project Ulysses has garnered strong support from several major industry players, including Airbus SE, Qantas Airways Ltd., and Japanese energy company Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.
Public sector funding has also been instrumental in advancing the project. In late 2024, Jet Zero received a combined A$14 million in financial support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) Advancing Renewables Program and the Queensland Government’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning to carry the project through FEED and toward a final investment decision (FID).
Technology and Timeline
Project Ulysses is set to become Australia’s first alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) production plant, with startup targeted for late 2027 or early 2028.
The facility will deploy LanzaJet Inc.’s proprietary ATJ technology, which includes T.EN’s patented Hummingbird technology for converting bioethanol into ethylene. Ethylene will then be processed into SAF and renewable diesel through LanzaJet’s oligomerization and hydrogenation process, according to statements from Jet Zero and ARENA.
The FEED study is expected to conclude by January 1, 2026.
If a positive FID is reached, Project Ulysses will be operated by Ulysses Bioenergy Pty. Ltd., a special-purpose entity registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) on October 8, 2024.