A synthetic aviation fuel plant to be built in Denmark

Metafuels AG, a Swiss aviation technology company, has partnered with European Energy to construct a synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) plant near Padborg, southern Denmark. This new plant will be situated near European Energy’s Power-to-X plant.

The aviation sector requires sustainable actions

The aviation sector is responsible for over 3.5% of global emissions, with nearly half being carbon dioxide. It’s no wonder that airlines and related organizations face significant political and social pressure. To address this, common measures include optimizing flight routes, carefully selecting take-off and landing speeds, accurately calculating the aircraft’s center of gravity, regularly washing the airframe and engine, and reducing vehicle weight. However, these efforts are still not sufficient.

New fuel production technologies are assisting the aviation sector. European Union regulations mandate that airlines use at least 2% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from the start of 2025, with this figure increasing to 37% by 2040. The Padborg plant, planned to produce 12 thousand liters of synthetic fuel per day, aims to help achieve climate goals under the EU’s RefuelEU Aviation initiative and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Program for International Aviation (CORSIA).

How it’s working?

Metafuels’ scalable aerobrew technology converts methanol produced sustainably into aviation fuel. This process boasts exceptional energy efficiency and effectively converts carbon into aviation fuel, significantly reducing life-cycle emissions by up to 90%. One of its key advantages is the ability to use this fuel in existing aircraft without requiring special infrastructure.

Emil Vikjær-Andresen, Vice President and Director of Power-to-X, emphasized the importance of reducing the climate impact of aviation fuels through renewable energy. Aviation currently contributes over 2% of global CO2 emissions, making green methanol a pivotal player in decarbonizing this sector by transforming into sustainable aviation fuel.

Source: hydrocarbonprocessing.com