Driven by EU aviation regulations, demand for sustainable synthetic aviation fuel (eSAF) is set to grow at an explosive pace. At the same time, a global race is underway to develop and scale production technologies to industrial levels as quickly as possible.
The unit – built from two large shipping containers – converts biogenic carbon dioxide and hydrogen produced with renewable electricity into synthetic crude oil, which is then refined into eSAF. The pilot represents a breakthrough in eSAF production: it has been engineered to meet industrial-scale requirements, and key partners essential to the eSAF value chain are involved in the development process.
The commissioning of the unit has been completed, and the first sample of eSAF crude is ready. This milestone strengthens both Finland’s and Liquid Sun’s position at the forefront of SAF innovation and paves the way for the next phase: scaling up production and refining the crude into aviation fuel together with Liquid Sun’s partner network. The network includes Finnair, Finavia, ABB, and Fortum.
The next step in the pilot production phase is to refine the eSAF crude into synthetic fuel and obtain the certification required under the eSAF regulatory framework.