Germany Funds Large-Scale eSAF Plant

The Brandenburg project is expected to produce synthetic aviation fuel beginning in 2030.

Germany Funds Large-Scale eSAF Plant
[Credit: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock]
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Key Takeaways:

Germany’s federal government and the state of Brandenburg have awarded €350 million in funding for an industrial-scale synthetic aviation fuel project at the PCK refinery in Schwedt, Germany. The project, now called Brandenburg eSAF, is planned to produce more than 30,000 metric tons of electric sustainable aviation fuel annually beginning in 2030.

The facility will use renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen, which will be combined with biogenic carbon dioxide and converted through a Fischer-Tropsch process into fuel suitable for use in many existing turbine aircraft. According to renewable energy company ENERTRAG and e-SAF specialist ZAFFRA, the grant is the largest public funding award in Europe to date for a Power-to-Liquid project. The European Commission approved the German aid package in December 2024.

“With today’s funding award, Germany is sending a clear signal: sustainable aviation fuels at industrial scale have a firm timeline and a concrete location,” ZAFFRA CEO Jan Toschka said. “ZAFFRA provides the technology, ENERTRAG the renewable energy, and Schwedt the infrastructure. Together, we are creating a blueprint for the European eSAF industry here.”

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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