European Collaboration Projects Plan a Circular Route to Producing Synthetic Aviation Fuels
(GreenAir Online) A recent high-level conference hosted by the Dutch government focused on the potential of synthetic aviation fuels, also called power-to-liquid (PtL) or e-fuels, to significantly lower the aviation sector’s carbon footprint (see article).
The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, announced KLM had undertaken the first ever commercial flight to use synthetic kerosene in a jet fuel blend, which was produced by Shell. The conference also highlighted the launch by a Dutch/Swiss/German consortium of a project that aims to build a demonstration plant in Rotterdam which will produce fully circular sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) via direct air capture.
The move comes after Royal Schiphol Group agreed to finance a study in 2019 into the feasibility of a demo plant able to produce SAF from air, water and renewable electricity. The study was led by German service provider EDL, with input from Climeworks, Sunfire, Ineratec, SkyNRG and Urban Crossovers. A new startup, Zenid, is now taking the next step with the support of these technology partners.
Meanwhile in Germany and backed by the state of Hesse, Ineratec is planning a PtL pilot plant at an innovation hub for carbon-neutral alternative fuels next to Frankfurt Airport that is expected to produce up to 4.6 million litres of fuel a year starting in 2022, including an anticipated 1.25 million litres of synthetic jet fuel. READ MORE includes VIDEO
These companies are sucking carbon out of the atmosphere — and investors are piling in (CNBC)