MB Energy and Swiss technology company Metafuels plan to jointly establish an integrated European supply chain for synthetic aviation fuel (SAF). The cooperation will cover the entire process, from production and certification to blending, logistics and the delivery of finished eSAF at the airport.
The agreements were signed on the occasion of the opening of Metafuels’ new demonstration plant in Switzerland. At the facility, the company is developing its so-called aerobrew process, which converts renewable methanol into synthetic aviation fuel. Metafuels describes the demonstration facility as the world’s first methanol-to-jet plant.
The cooperation will initially focus on the planned Turbe project in Rotterdam, which is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2030. Metafuels and MB Energy intend to jointly develop solutions for market access, certification, blending, infrastructure, logistics and the necessary flow of information throughout the supply chain. The aim is to transport certified and fully blended eSAF from the production site all the way to the aircraft.
MB Energy could also play a role at the beginning of the value chain. Under a planned agreement, the company is being considered as a supplier of the methanol required for production. In addition, MB Energy brings its existing expertise in trading, logistics and infrastructure, as well as experience with certification processes.
Scaling up eSAF is also an infrastructure challenge
The cooperation addresses a challenge that will become increasingly important as eSAF production expands. New production facilities alone are not enough. The fuel must be certified, transported, stored and blended with conventional aviation fuel before it can actually reach an aircraft through existing airport infrastructure.
Metafuels therefore sees not only the fuel technology itself, but the entire supply chain as a decisive factor for scaling up production. With the Turbe project in mind, the partners aim to establish a robust infrastructure for feedstocks, logistics and delivery well ahead of the planned start of production in 2030.
The cooperation between MB Energy and Metafuels therefore targets precisely the interface between new eSAF production and existing fuel infrastructure. The key will be to turn individual production projects into functioning supply chains through which synthetic aviation fuel can reliably reach airports in certified form.
Source / Image: © MB Energy Holding GmbH & Co. KG
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