A new independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) by EcoAct (a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider Electric Sustainability Business) confirms that HBx, a microalgal biofuel developed by UK-based HutanBio, achieves net-negative carbon emissions during production. HBx production removes up to 1.48 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of biofuel produced across sites in Morocco, the Middle East, and Western Australia.

London, United Kingdom, May 8, 2025 - HutanBio, a pioneering UK-based climate technology company, today announced that the production process for its proprietary HBx microalgal biofuel achieves net-negative carbon emissions, based on an independent cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by EcoAct, a leading international sustainability consultancy and a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider Electric Sustainability Business. The assessment offers robust third-party validation of HBx's carbon removal potential and adds new momentum to the development of credible low-carbon fuel solutions.

HutanBio's proprietary microalgal system naturally captures and sequesters carbon, achieving a net uptake of -5.78 tCO₂e per tonne of HBx produced. The LCA found that HBx production removes up to 1.48 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of biofuel produced across all three planned production sites: Morocco, the Middle East, and Western Australia. The LCA addressed all production stages - including raw material inputs, inbound transport, production and refinery processes, and waste handling, offering a transparent carbon accounting methodology rarely seen in the biofuels sector. While downstream use-phase emissions are not included in the system boundary, the results clearly show that the production process alone contributes a net-negative carbon impact. The assessment was conducted in alignment with ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2020, providing robust independent analysis of HutanBio's technology and methodology.

HBx is derived from a newly discovered marine microalgae cultivated in seawater on non-arable land using HutanBio's proprietary enclosed photobioreactor technology. It does not compete with food crops or freshwater resources and is designed to power hard-to-abate transport sectors.

"The biofuels industry has long struggled with inconsistent reporting and opaque sustainability claims," said Paul Beastall, CEO of HutanBio. "By following ISO standards and publishing these results, we are not only validating our own process but helping to set a new benchmark for industry transparency. These results mark a significant milestone in the development of science-backed, scalable low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels."

Among the three regions assessed, Morocco delivered the lowest emissions due to favourable sourcing, energy availability, and shorter logistics chains. The study also found that switching to renewable electricity in HBx production can reduce production emissions by up to 5.6 times compared to fossil-based energy.

"Many producers focus solely on the theoretical carbon benefits of their fuel while obscuring the significant emissions from their production processes," said James Ibberson, Chief Technical Officer at HutanBio. "Our approach is to measure everything, optimise what we can, and be completely transparent about the results."

"The LCA is the gold standard for quantifying environmental impact across a product's journey," added Stuart Lemmon, CEO of EcoAct and Global Head of Practices, Sustainability, at Schneider Electric Sustainability Business. "What sets HutanBio apart is not just their willingness to undergo this rigorous process, but the remarkable results achieved. Their net-negative carbon profile represents exactly the kind of breakthrough innovation needed in hard-to-abate sectors. By embracing this level of scientific scrutiny and transparency, HutanBio is establishing a new benchmark for the entire biofuels industry to aspire to."

HutanBio plans to begin construction of a commercial pilot facility in Q1 2026 and is actively seeking strategic partnerships with transportation leaders and investors committed to climate action.

About HutanBio

HutanBio is a technology company focused on transforming the future of long-distance transportation with HBx, a zero-carbon biofuel designed for a sustainable future. Our mission is to rapidly decarbonise these sectors, quickly, cost effectively and with minimal disruption by harnessing the power of a 2-billion-year-old ancient organism. A new-to-science marine microalgae with unmatched productivity that outperforms legacy algal strains by an order of magnitude.

Using our proprietary cultivation platform, we grow fuel using CO2 and sunlight, in seawater on unproductive non-agricultural land to deliver a scalable, sustainable and cost effective zero carbon fuel that works with existing infrastructure to provide immediate carbon savings for the marine, aviation and heavy land transport sectors. Founded by John Archer PhD, Noor Azlin Mokhtar PhD and Suhaiza Jamhor in 2019, world class scientists with expertise in Microbial Genetics and Genomics. 

Learn more
www.hutanbio.com


About EcoAct  

EcoAct, a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is an international climate and sustainability consultancy and carbon offsetting project developer. Founded in France in 2006, we now have a team of over 400 climate experts worldwide working with a shared purpose: to make a difference. We partner with organisations around the world to implement innovative solutions and positive change in response to climate and sustainability challenges whilst also driving commercial performance.  EcoAct is a CDP Gold Partner, a founding member of ICROA, a strategic partner in the implementation of the Gold Standard for the Global Goals and reports to the UN Global Compact.    

In 2023, EcoAct became part of Schneider Electric, bringing together Schneider Electric's global leadership in sustainability and energy management with our expertise in sustainability consulting and carbon strategy. This integration enhances our ability to deliver end-to-end decarbonization solutions, helping businesses navigate climate risk, regulatory compliance, and the path to net-zero. 
Learn more:
www.eco-act.com 
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