tLCAF is an ASTM D1655-compliant, drop-in aviation fuel engineered for the EU's non-CO₂ reporting regime. With 8–10% aromatics and 10–15 ppm sulfur, tLCAF gives airlines verifiable reductions in contrails and SOx — replacing punitive NEATS default values with primary data.
Non-CO₂ effects — persistent contrail cirrus, NOx, and SOx — now account for roughly two-thirds of aviation's total climate impact. The EU has moved them from scientific footnote to reportable, soon-to-be-priced liabilities. This is the most significant regulatory shift in aviation climate policy since the inclusion of airlines in the EU ETS.
EU 2024/2493 — Airlines operating in the EEA must monitor, report, and verify non-CO₂ effects. First verified reports due 31 March 2026.
Where airlines cannot provide primary fuel data, NEATS assumes worst-case Jet A-1: 25% aromatics and 3000 ppm sulfur. Even moderately cleaner fuels are penalized.
Each tonne of tLCAF comes with verifiable fuel properties. Airlines feed this into NEATS as primary data — opting out of default penalties entirely.
tLCAF is not simply a low-sulfur, low-aromatic Jet A-1. It is a compliance instrument that lets airlines replace punitive defaults with best-in-class primary data — turning each flight from a climate liability into a defensible data asset for regulators, investors, and the public.
Persistent contrails need two things: the right weather and the wrong soot profile. tLCAF cuts aromatics and sulfur to the precise levels where contrail formation is minimized — without compromising seals, pumps, or safety.
Aromatic hydrocarbons are chemically predisposed to form soot. Standard Jet A-1 generates soot above 10¹⁵ particles/kg. By reducing aromatics to 8–10%, tLCAF cuts soot particle numbers by 50–70%, drastically raising the threshold for ice crystal formation and preventing persistent contrails in most atmospheric conditions.
Aviation fuel kept sulfur at 600–3000 ppm because stripping it risked pump and seal damage. tLCAF uses a proprietary pure hydrocarbon lubricity improver (DM-X 200™ chemistry) — not sulfur-bearing compounds — enabling 10–15 ppm sulfur while achieving 350 µm Wear Scar Diameter (HFRR), better than baseline Jet A-1 (~420 µm).
tLCAF meets ASTM D1655 as a standard aviation turbine fuel. It uses existing infrastructure, requires no engine modifications, and avoids special handling. Older engine seals requiring minimum ~8% aromatics for swelling are satisfied by tLCAF's 8–10% specification. Density tested at 791.4 kg/m³ @ 15°C — well within spec. Operationally, it behaves like Jet A-1, only cleaner.
"tLCAF is not just 'safe enough' at low sulfur. It delivers superior lubricity, forming tribochemical films that protect engines against wear, corrosion, and deposit formation."
Independent laboratories and the Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) at Sheffield have validated tLCAF's performance on a Honeywell 131-9A APU. The data proves tLCAF removes the "seeds" (soot particles) necessary for persistent contrail formation.
Source: Honeywell 131-9A APU testing, TERC Sheffield (Appendix A)
The 94.7% reduction in particle number drastically raises the threshold for ice crystal formation. Without these nucleation sites, persistent contrails cannot form in most atmospheric conditions.
| Fuel | Sulfur Content | Lubricity (HFRR WSD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional Jet A-1 | 3000 ppm (default) | ~420 µm | Relies on sulfur-bearing species |
| tLCAF Aviation Fuel | ~10 ppm | ~350 µm | Pure hydrocarbon improver; superior |
| DM-XTech Marine (UMF) | ~300 ppm | ~350 µm | Consistent lubricity validated |
| Element | Jet A-1 (mg/kg) | tLCAF (mg/kg) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 0.235 | 0.073 | ✓ Better |
| Lead | 0.064 | 0.011 | ✓ Better |
| Calcium | 0.004 | 0.037 | Higher* |
| Iron | 0.002 | 0.008 | Higher* |
*Higher calcium and iron levels are mitigated by tLCAF's superior lubricity — the fuel forms protective tribochemical films that shield surfaces and reduce catalytic oxidation.
Regulation (EU) 2024/2493 forces every EEA operator to quantify and report contrails and SOx. The March 31 2026 deadline is a signed CEO liability. tLCAF is engineered to show progress in that very first filing.
| Year | Regulatory Event | Implication for Airlines | tLCAF Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | Monitoring obligation starts | Every flight accumulates reportable impact | Early adoption reduces cumulative baseline |
| Mar 31 2026 | First verified report due | CEOs sign off on contrail data for 2025 | Demo flights create credible evidence |
| 2027 | Scope expands to all EEA | Long-haul carriers pulled into the net | Scalable deployment beyond intra-EEA |
| Post-2027 | EU ETS likely extended to non-CO₂ | Contrails/SOx carry explicit financial prices | Hedge against future allowance costs |
NEATS uses Method C (weather-based) to compute CO₂e from non-CO₂ effects, fusing trajectory, weather, and fuel properties. Where fuel composition is unknown, it punishes operators with conservative defaults: 25% Aromatics, 3000 ppm Sulfur, 3% Naphthalene. Even moderately cleaner fuels are treated as worst-case if not digitized. tLCAF flights report certified primary data: 8–10% Aromatics, 10–15 ppm Sulfur — measurably lower nvPM, thinner contrails, reduced CO₂e.
SAF will not be available at scale or reasonable cost in time for the first non-CO₂ reports. tLCAF offers a refinery-based, scalable path to contrail and SOx mitigation at a demo-phase cost of 2.5× Jet A-1 — competitive against SAF and many avoidance strategies.
| Strategy | Non-CO₂ Effect | CO₂ Impact | Cost (Demo) | 2025–26 Scalability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Jet A-1 | High Contrails, High SOx | Baseline | ~$700/t | High (Penalized) |
| SAF (HEFA) | Blend-limited | Lifecycle reduction | 2–5× Jet A-1 | Very Low (<1%) |
| Nav. Avoidance | High potential | +0.5–2% CO₂ penalty | $4/flt–$14/tCO₂e | Low (ATC limits) |
| tLCAF (DM-XTech) | High Reduction | Neutral lifecycle | 2.5× Jet A-1 | High (Refinery) |
~2.5× Jet A-1 to cover small-batch production and testing. Grants (Jet Zero, Innovate UK) and cost-sharing can absorb a significant portion for launch partners.
Production model is refinery-based, not feedstock-limited. Target: cost parity with fossil Jet A-1, unlike SAF pathways structurally at 2–4× due to constrained feedstocks.
DM-XTech is seeking a Tier-1 airline partner for a Q1/Q3 2026 commercial flight demonstration. The goal: generate primary NEATS data and a public, defensible proof of tLCAF's contrail and SOx reductions.
Engage target airlines, sign LOI/MOU. Align on route selection and data protocols.
Submit Innovate UK bid; define NEATS measurement protocols; secure blended finance (grants + cost-sharing).
Blend 50–100 tonnes of tLCAF; lab certification and ASTM D1655 compliance verification.
Execute 5–10 commercial flights; collect fuel-spec, trajectory, and satellite-verified contrail data.
Calculate CO₂e reductions; publish white paper; generate board-ready ESG narrative.
Support verified report submission; prepare commercial rollout pathway.
Define the standard for post-SAF aviation decarbonization — own the story regulators benchmark against.
Primary NEATS data, verified contrail impact, and a defensible non-CO₂ narrative for investors and regulators.
Early data positions you ahead of EU ETS extension to non-CO₂ — before explicit financial prices arrive post-2027.
The compliance clock is running. Every flight since January 2025 accumulates reportable non-CO₂ impact. tLCAF gives you primary data, verified contrail reduction, and a story that is defensible in front of regulators, investors, and the public. The only question is whether you lead — or follow.
info@dm-xtech.com · DM-XTech UK Ltd · dmxtech.co.uk