Sasol, in partnership with Zaffra, invested €350 million in an industrial‑scale electro‑sustainable aviation fuel project.
Concrete Chemicals is expected to produce about 30,000 tons of electro‑sustainable aviation fuel each year and reduce at least 100,000 tons of fossil CO₂ annually.
The fuel will be used by Electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuels (e-SAF) in Germany.
Dr. Gunar Hering, CEO at ENERTRAG, said the project demonstrates how innovation, renewable energy, and climate policy can be tightly integrated to support the long-term development of European aviation fuel supply chains, while contributing to regional economic development and high-value industrial jobs.
Using biogenic CO₂ and renewable hydrogen, Concrete Chemicals will produce synthetic kerosene through a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) process.
The consortium plans to source local CO₂ through a cooperation with LEIPA Leinfelder GmbH, a leading manufacturer of recycled paper and cardboard products based in Schwedt.
“With Concrete Chemicals, we are showing that the energy transition does not stop at electricity — it is now taking off in the skies. Our expertise in renewables enables the cost-efficient use of green hydrogen to power the aviation fuels of the future” said Hering.
The project is designed in alignment with Germany’s emerging hydrogen infrastructure planning and the objectives of the IPCEI hydrogen framework.
The project is also expected to improve the resilience of Germany and Europe’s energy sector, making the country more resilient to future shocks.
This initiative delivers measurable impacts at both the EU and German state level.
Jan Toschka, CEO of Zaffra said “Zaffra and its partners are delivering the kind of frontier industrial innovation Europe urgently needs. This project proves that it is possible to marry innovation with energy resilience, climate ambition, and economic competitiveness – all with European technology, German infrastructure, and Brandenburg-based jobs”.
The technical planning phase has begun, with a final investment decision targeted by 2027 and production expected to support the 2030 mandates.
Picture: Supplied