The German government, alongside regional authorities in Brandenburg, has committed €350 million to support a pioneering industrial initiative focused on synthetic sustainable aviation fuel production. Located at a refinery in Schwedt, the Brandenburg eSAF project represents the most substantial public investment in power-to-liquid technology within Europe to date. This endeavor seeks to establish a reliable source of sustainable fuel for the aviation sector, utilizing advanced chemical processes to create a product compatible with existing aircraft engines.
Scheduled to begin operations in 2030, the facility is designed to generate more than 30,000 metric tons of fuel every year by combining green hydrogen with captured carbon dioxide. This collaboration between companies like ENERTRAG and ZAFFRA aims to utilize clean electricity to power the production cycle, effectively lowering the environmental impact of air travel. By integrating modern infrastructure with innovative technology, the project serves as a strategic model for the future of the European energy transition in the skies.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel, but with a smaller carbon footprint. SAF can be used in all existing turbine aircraft, and reduces aviation lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by as much as 80%.
