Two evolving Nordic e-SAF projects have been simultaneously boosted as the region ramps up a range of initiatives to progress lower-emission air transport. In Finland, clean technology group Liquid Sun has raised almost €4 million ($4.2m) in fresh seed funding to construct an e-SAF production testing facility. As Finland’s first pre-commercial e-SAF demonstrator plant, it will initially be housed in a 66-square-metre shipping container. Meanwhile in Denmark, renewable energy investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Copenhagen and Aalborg Airports and SAS Scandinavian Airlines have signed a collaboration agreement to support e-SAF production by Fjord PtX, an emerging renewable fuels business led by CIP, and to advocate for a Danish SAF sector. A new facility is due to open in late 2028.

Both projects will rely on renewable electricity produced in Nordic nations to help create green hydrogen, which, when combined with reprocessed carbon dioxide, will be used to create e-SAF and other non-fossil-based products.

Liquid Sun has been backed by investors including Voima Ventures, Failup Ventures and Business Finland as it pursues industrial-scale production using a new low-temperature electrolysis system. The company says its technology can be integrated into existing SAF infrastructures to enable price parity with fossil fuels, which, if verified, would address one of the biggest impediments to SAF uptake – its cost.   

As well as having access to abundant supplies of renewable electricity, says Liquid Sun, significant biogenic CO2 can be sourced from the Finnish forestry industry, providing the company with “an unexpected competitive advantage” not just in e-SAF production, but in making Finland a leader in the sector.

“Securing significant funding and oversubscribing the investment round in such a challenging market situation demonstrates that Liquid Sun has proven in a very short time to be a serious player in the e-fuel market,” said the company’s Chairman, Samuel Thesleff.

“Now the real work starts as we start scaling up the production of e-SAF to an industrial scale to help drive Finland towards its emission reduction goals and a cleaner future.”

“The Nordic region is uniquely positioned to take a leading role in e-SAF production,” added Pontus Stråhlman, a partner in Voima Ventures, the lead investor in the latest funding round.  

“There is an abundant renewable energy supply, supportive industry efforts and strong government backing. We firmly believe in Liquid Sun’s ability to open an entirely new market for more sustainable aviation.”

Co-investor Failup Ventures, a Finnish-US collaboration, describes itself as an investor “backing future leaders who create impact in society.”

“We’re excited to invest in Liquid Sun because they’re tackling one of the toughest problems out there – creating sustainable fuels for a cleaner future,” said Topias Soininen, General Partner, New York, for Failup Ventures. “This is exactly the type of work we love to support.”

In Denmark, renewable energy investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), SAS and Copenhagen and Aalborg airports have signed a collaboration agreement to help accelerate local e-SAF production.

They are supporting Fjord PtX, a new Power-to-X project based in Aalborg, North Denmark, which will deploy electrolysis technology at the 200-400 MW level to produce e-fuels including synthetic SAF.

The project, backed by CIP, plans to annually recycle 330,000 tons of CO2, mostly sourced from the Nordværk waste-to-energy incineration plant, to produce up to 75,000 tons of SAF, equating to 250% of the fuel required for Denmark’s domestic flights.

Construction of the new e-SAF plant will commence next year on a 20-hectare site near the Port of Aalborg, with production expected to begin in late 2028.

The renewable energy for the plant will be wind and solar generated, while the CO2 to be captured and repurposed by Fjord PtX is estimated to equate to the emissions produced by 17,000 houses.

As well as producing e-SAF and e-naphtha, excess heat from the new plant will be redirected to provide emission-free heating to around 11,000 houses in the Aalborg municipality, adding further value to the project.

The four partners will also work to build public awareness and regulatory support to speed the transition to a low carbon economy and demonstrate how it is possible to develop a ‘sustainability valley’ in Denmark, and more broadly across Scandinavian countries.

“We have been developing our project for the past three years,” said CIP partner Søren Toftgaard. “We urge European and Danish governments and authorities to step up by providing clear and supportive schemes, which will be key for the ramp up of this new industry. With the right frameworks in place, this partnership and Fjord PtX can become a cornerstone of Denmark’s sustainable future.”

“Our partnership combines expertise to drive shared sustainability goals,” added SAS President and CEO Anko van der Werff. “This agreement sets a strong foundation for our project, underscoring our commitment to an urgent transition. The opportunities ahead are simply too valuable to miss.”

“To achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it is essential to begin producing new fuels as soon as possible,” said Christian Poulsen, CEO of Denmark’s largest airport company, Copenhagen Airports.

Aalborg Airport’s CEO, Niels Kjær Hemmingsen, commented: “Aalborg is the ideal location for Fjord PtX, as it provides the essential resources needed to drive sustainable development. For Aalborg Airport, this collaboration is a key step towards fulfilling our ambitious sustainability goals.”

Photo: The site of the Danish Fjord PtX project under development by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners that aims to produce e-SAF

Swedish hybrid-electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace has unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator, the Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), which will serve as a platform for the testing and development of the company’s regional 30-passenger ES-30 aircraft. Initially, the 32-metre wingspan X1 will be used for ground-based testing, focusing on charging operations, taxiing and turnaround procedures, with a fully electric first flight planned in Q2 2025. A pre-production X2 prototype is the next step to further mature the design and production methods, with a hybrid-electric flight scheduled for 2026. Heart has also announced other ES-30 developments that include completion of ground support tests with Braathens Regional Airlines, SAS and Swedavia, plus the addition of Malaysia-based AirAsia to its Industry Advisory Board. Meanwhile, UK-based Gen Phoenix has partnered with DOY Design to supply lightweight leather for the X1 passenger seats.

The X1 demonstrator was built almost entirely in-house at Heart’s Gothenburg facilities and reflects a strategy to develop both the design and production processes simultaneously, explained the company.

“We need to develop new methods to get net zero aerospace technologies to market faster,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO. “It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team that we’re able to roll out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a brand-new propulsion system, largely in-house, in less than two years.”

In preparation for the first flight, Heart will test critical systems over the coming months by running hardware tests both on and off the airplane. The hybrid-electric X2 will demonstrate the company’s Independent Hybrid propulsion system. Heart is also to establish a pilot manufacturing plant to accelerate pototyping towards the manufacture of a fully conforming aircraft, with type certification of the ES-30 targeted by the end of the decade.

The electric zero-emission version will have a range of 200 kilometres, a hybrid-electric range of 400 kilometres and an extended range of up to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers. To date, Heart says it has 250 firm orders for the ES-30, with options and purchase rights for an additional 120 planes, and letters of intent for 191 more aircraft.

The ground support procedure tests carried out in collaboration with Braathens Regional Airlines, SAS and airport operator Swedavia, were conducted as part of the Swedish research project ELISE, which brings together technology companies with airlines and airports to foster the development of electric aviation infrastructure in the country.

The procedures tested at Säve Airport in Gothenburg included verification and testing of the charging procedure; evaluation of charging routines; onboarding and offboarding procedures for passengers and cargo; and ground support experience and maintenance routines.

The company has filed two EU design applications and one patent application for a new nacelle integration design that Heart says will significantly improve the flight characteristics of the ES-30, allowing it to operate on shorter runways. Manufactured in-house using automated composite technology, the design, in which the nacelle is centred on the wing, will be incorporated on the X2. By minimising the aerodynamic interference between the nacelle and the wing, it allows for a higher angle of attack and delaying stall. This improves lift generation during both cruise and landing phases, giving the ES-30 the ability to fly at lower speeds with greater aerodynamic efficiency.

“The operation of electric airplanes requires highly efficient aerodynamic designs and our research on propulsion integration centred on the wing has led to a concept that significantly outperforms conventional designs,” said Alain Cuenca, Senior Aerodynamics & Thermodynamics Engineer at Heart Aerospace.

Added Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer: “Developing innovative net zero aerospace technologies demands a revolution in product development and manufacturing, much like what we’ve witnessed in the automotive and space industries.”

Development of the X1 has been funded in part by grants provided by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova. In August, Heart was selected for a $4.1 million grant by the FAA’s Fuelling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) programme to develop the X2’s management system for the hybrid-electric propulsion.

New Industry Advisory Board member AirAsia aims to make air travel more accessible across the SE Asia region and to serve “underserved” communities, and has a long-term goal to cut its net CO2 emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2050.

“At AirAsia, we are committed to exploring new technologies that align with our focus on operational efficiency and sustainability,” said Capt Chester Voo, the group’s Deputy COO, Airline Operations. “While electric and hybrid-electric aircraft are still nascent in Asia, they represent a compelling future for sustainable air travel. We look forward to contributing our aviation experience and insights from this dynamic region to Heart Aerospace’s pioneering work.”

In collaboration with DOY Design, Gen Phoenix has supplied its recycled low-carbon leather product Essence to upholster the 30 passenger seats in X1. It offers an 83% lower carbon footprint than traditional leather “while maintaining the premium qualities of fine upholstery,” says Gen Phoenix. DOY Design’s Ultra-Slim seats used by Heart on the demonstrator have a thin structure and higher light levels.

“Our mission is to reduce our impact on the environment by adopting sustainable design practices and using materials like Essence, which offer both sustainability and quality,” said Gary Doy of DOY Design, whose seats recently received a Red Cabin Trinity Award for Best Sustainability Concept.

Top photo: The Heart Aerospace X1 demonstrator

Bottom photo: Interior of X1 with DOY Design seats upholstered with Gen Phoenix’s Essence leather

Christopher Surgenor

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UK regional airline Loganair is to partner with emerging Swedish aircraft maker Heart Aerospace to explore potential uses for hybrid-electric aircraft. Through their alliance, the two will establish use cases across the airline’s UK network focusing on Heart’s evolving ES-30, a 30-seat aircraft which the company expects to enter service by the early 2030s. The companies will engage with the Scottish and UK governments and airports to advocate the benefits of electric-powered flights, and the airline will join Heart’s industry advisory board, members of which include airlines, airports, aircraft lessors and governments. Meanwhile, in a new test programme in the US involving electric powertrain manufacturer magniX and NASA, two of the four engines on a De Havilland Dash 7 commuter plane will be replaced with electric motors to help evolve hybrid-electric propulsion for use on large turboprop aircraft.          

Glasgow-based Loganair serves a network of more than 30 destinations across the UK and additional points in Ireland, Norway and Denmark with a fleet of 44 aircraft, ranging from nine-seat Britten-Norman Islanders and 19-seat De Havilland Twin Otters to 49-passenger Embraer ERJ jets and 70-seat ATR 72-600 turboprops. The partnership with Heart introduces the ES-30 as a future option, with a fully electric zero emissions range of 200 kilometres, an extended hybrid flying range of 400 kilometres with up to 30 passengers, and capacity to fly up to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers, with all operating settings including typical airline reserves. 

“This is a very exciting and significant moment for Loganair and for the future of sustainable UK regional flying,” said the airline’s CEO, Luke Farajallah. “This exclusive collaboration with Heart Aerospace brings together two organisations who share a passion to see aviation emissions reduce in a realistic and meaningful way, and we definitely see the ES-30 as being a strong contender to emerge as one of the leaders in this space.

“We are very proud of our environmental work and achievements to date, and we see this as the next logical step along the path to a greener future for UK regional aviation.”

He said the airline’s newly appointed Director of Safety and Sustainability, Rebecca Borresen, who commences with the company on 1 October, would be heavily involved in the partnership with Heart.

Simon Newitt, President and CCO of Heart, welcomed the partnership with Loganair. “We’re thrilled to partner with them to bring cleaner air travel to the UK,” he said. “This collaboration is an important step in our mission to make air travel more sustainable and we look forward to bringing clean and convenient solutions to Loganair in support of its ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2040.”

In the US, electric propulsion developer magniX has revealed a De Havilland DHC-7 (Dash 7) demonstrator aircraft in special livery as part of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration programme (EPFD) to support the introduction of both battery electric and hybrid electric aircraft into commercial fleets by 2030.

The Everett, Washington-based magniX has been progressing the project since 2021 when it secured a $74.3 million contract from NASA and is leading the conversion of the four-engine Dash 7 from Canadian operator Air Tindi to a testbed for electric motors.

Initially, magniX will replace one of the Dash 7’s turbine engines with a magni650 electric propulsion unit, with a second to follow in the next stage of the programme. They will be powered by a large battery energy storage system.

In February magniX achieved the Preliminary Design Review, which established the design for the installation of electric powertrains on the Dash 7, and in April a magni650 electric engine completed the first phase of testing at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Ohio. Baseline tests were then performed with the aircraft to generate performance data ahead of the installation of the magniX electric powertrains.

“As EPFD makes outstanding progress, magniX and NASA are proving the feasibility of electric propulsion for commercial flight,” said magniX CEO Reed Macdonald. On a typical regional flight in the US, extending about 200 miles (322 kilometres), the company estimated that a hybrid aircraft would achieve fuel savings of up to 40%.

Ben Loxton, magniX VP of the EPFD programme and Electric Storage Systems, said the project with NASA would also demonstrate that sustainable flight was achievable using existing aerospace technology. “The programme is accelerating its readiness for entry into service, prioritising safety and the highest standards of performance.”

Robert Pearce, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, said EPFD would not only deliver more sustainable aviation, but also greater air transport access to more communities in the US. “Hybrid electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates US progress toward its goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” he said, “benefiting all who rely on air transportation every day.”

Image: Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 in Loganair livery

Tony Harrington

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Scandinavian Seaplanes, a charter and tourism operator based in Bergen, Norway, will convert its fleet of six Cessna floatplanes to battery-electric powertrains supplied by Dovetail Electric Aviation, an emerging Australian-Spanish joint venture with which it has signed a strategic partnership agreement. The first of the Scandinavian Cessnas are expected to be converted from 2026 once Dovetail secures regulatory certification of its battery-electric powertrain, which will be test flown next year on an amphibious Cessna Caravan operated by Australia’s Sydney Seaplanes, a co-founder of Dovetail. The announcement closely follows an investment in Dovetail by the Australian state of Victoria, where the company is separately developing a hydrogen-electric propulsion system with greater flight range than the initial battery-electric powertrain. It plans to test-fly its first hydrogen-electric plane, a converted Beechcraft King Air, in 2026.   

The commitment by Scandinavian Seaplanes, Norway’s only operator of amphibious aircraft, comes well in advance of a Norwegian government mandate requiring all short-haul flights to be electrically powered by 2040. The company says the conversions will make it Europe’s first operator of electric seaplanes.

The airline currently operates four Cessna 206 and two Cessna 180 floatplanes and is planning to add another Cessna 206H, potentially before the end of this year. It is also looking to introduce a larger Cessna Caravan for its Bergen operations, and a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 for airport-based flights from next year, when it plans to expand its activities to include scheduled flights.

The agreement with Scandinavian Seaplanes takes to more than 70 the number of firm orders and options for Dovetail’s battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion conversion kits to customers including three seaplane operators. Dovetail’s biggest customer is UK-based regional aircraft lessor MONTE with 25 firm orders for zero-emission Dovetail powertrains, and options for up to 25 more.

The announcement of the Scandinavian Seaplanes agreement closely followed an investment in Dovetail of an undisclosed amount from the government of the southern Australian state of Victoria, to which the aerospace manufacturer recently transferred from, Sydney. 

Under the funding deal, details of which were not disclosed, Invest Victoria, the state government’s main investment attraction and promotion agency is offering non-dilutive financial support to Dovetail to help advance local development of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector.

In return for government support, Dovetail has relocated its administrative centre from Sydney to the Victorian capital, Melbourne, and its hydrogen-electric test facility to the Latrobe Regional Airport south-east of Melbourne, a region which itself is being transformed from a former coal mining district. A major mine, once the hub of the region’s industry, was closed in 2017, and Australia’s largest brown coal-fired power station, still located in the region, will be decommissioned in 2035.

While progressing towards test-flying its battery-electric prototype in Sydney, Dovetail is using the new Victorian facility to evolve prototypes of its hydrogen-electric powertrain, which will be test-flown in Victoria in 2027 using a Beechcraft King Air aircraft. One of the plane’s two engines will be replaced with a hydrogen-electric powerplant, which the company will introduce to deliver significantly greater flying range or revenue payload than the initial battery-electric system.

“We are really pleased to support Dovetail Electric Aviation’s new centre in the Latrobe Valley, which will deliver world-leading innovations for the aviation sector, create new jobs in regional Victoria and contribute to the state’s net-zero emissions goal,” said Harriet Shing MP, State Parliamentary representative for Eastern Victoria.

Dovetail’s CEO, David Doral, welcomed the support from the Victorian government which, coupled with other investments, was helping quicken the company’s development of zero emission aircraft propulsion.

“This investment will enable us to accelerate our research and development efforts, bringing us closer to our vision of a sustainable, efficient, and accessible aviation future,” he said.

Meanwhile, as well as backing Dovetail, MONTE  has announced a strategic partnership with Natilus, a US aerospace company developing a next-generation blended-wing-body regional cargo aircraft that it claims will offer an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions through its more aerodynamically efficient structure, and reduce operating costs by more than half. MONTE will provide leasing and financing options for the Natilus Kona aircraft, which the San Diego-based company says will be its first commercially available aircraft.

“This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to revolutionise the cargo transport industry with innovative, environmentally-friendly solutions,” said Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus.

The company says the blended-wing-body design is ideally suited for hydrogen-electric propulsion as hydrogen is volume centric and so suitable for carrying hydrogen tanks without impacting payload or range.

“The Kona is a unique aircraft that has been developed specifically to optimise air cargo operations,” said MONTE COO Timothy Eyre. “The opportunity to integrate hydrogen electric propulsion systems into the aircraft is strongly aligned with our strategy to decarbonise regional aviation.”

Top photo: Scandinavian Seaplanes

Bottom image: The Natilus Kona blended-wing-body regional cargo aircraft

Tony Harrington

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Airbus, airline SAS, Swedish energy company Vattenfall and airport operators Avinor and Swedavia have signed a MoU to work together to develop infrastructure for hydrogen aviation in Sweden and Norway. The partners will undertake a feasibility study covering both countries and over 50 airports, and will develop a framework and review the conditions for a possible roll-out. The one-year study, with the possibility of an extension, will also look at scenarios for the potential number of hydrogen-powered aircraft movements and the volume of hydrogen required that would need to be stored at the airports. Hydrogen is a crucial component of the aviation sector’s energy transition but will require airports to adapt to new procedures linked to refuelling, safety and fire protection, as well as the handling of liquid hydrogen.

The framework will cover the entire chain, from production and transport to storage and hydrogen refuelling at commercial airports. By bringing together competencies that cover all aspects of aviation, the collaboration aims to create an overall picture of the conditions required to enable the transition to hydrogen-powered aviation, say the partners. The work will also identify the pathways to select which airports will be transformed first to operate hydrogen-powered aircraft in both countries, as well as the accompanying regulatory framework.

“Swedavia, Avinor and SAS have already established successful collaborations in fossil-free aviation, and it is therefore exciting that Airbus, with its extensive knowledge of hydrogen-powered aircraft through its ZEROe initiative, and Vattenfall, with its expertise in electricity and energy production, are joining us in a more in-depth collaboration,” said Swedavia CEO Jonas Abrahamsson.

“Hydrogen is expected to gradually become an increasing part of the aviation industry’s fuel mix in the future and will therefore have an increasing effect on the infrastructure and planning of our airports.”

The switch to hydrogen-powered aviation is a complex process, says the Swedish airport operator, and infrastructure will have to be adapted due to the need to store hydrogen and, potentially, to enable the production of hydrogen at, or in close proximity, to airports.

Norway, as well as Sweden, is well positioned to be an early mover in the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft, believes Avinor CEO Abraham Foss. “As the owner of 43 airports across Norway, Avinor has already been working on sustainability for many years and has taken a position to be a driving force and facilitator for the green transition of Norwegian aviation,” he said.

Commented Anna Borg, CEO of Vattenfall: “Aviation is a hard to abate industry where breaking away from fossil fuels is a huge challenge today. This cross-border collaboration, however, demonstrates the willingness to bring about change. We look forward to contributing our expertise in electricity market development, electrical infrastructure and hydrogen production in Sweden.”

Airbus unveiled its first ZEROe hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft in 2020, aiming to bring it to market by 2035. It also launched its Hydrogen Hub at Airports programme (see graphic below) to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations. Airbus has already signed agreements with partners and airports in ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

“Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we pioneer a sustainable aviation future,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “Norway and Sweden are among the most demanding regions for aviation and have great potential for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. I am very pleased to enter into this cooperation with partners fully engaged to take significant steps towards decarbonising aerospace. It fits perfectly with our strategy of deploying hydrogen aviation ecosystems in the most suitable parts of the world.”

In January, Airbus opened a ZEROe Development Centre (ZEDC) at its Stade, Germany, site. The centre will accelerate the development of composite hydrogen system technologies for storing cryogenic liquid hydrogen, said Airbus. ZEDC Stade is part of a network of development centres for technologies to decarbonise the aerospace industry and complement other Airbus sites in Europe to get a hydrogen-powered aircraft in the sky by the middle of the next decade.

Top image (Airbus): Turboprop concept of ZEROe hydrogen-powered aircraft at the airport

Christopher Surgenor

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Danish energy solutions provider Topsoe has signed a licensing and engineering agreement with Preem, Sweden’s largest fuel company, to provide its HydroFlex technology at Preem’s Lysekil refinery that will enable production of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. The refinery is currently being revamped and once it starts operations, scheduled for 2027, Preem expects to become one of Northern Europe’s biggest producers of SAF. Topsoe has become a leading global player in SAF production technology, with agreements signed recently in Asia and the United States. In June 2023, it entered a joint venture with global chemicals and energy company Sasol to develop, build, own and operate SAF plants utilising Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch and Topsoe’s related technologies. The two companies have now appointed Shell’s President of Global Aviation, Jan Toschka, as CEO of the JV.

Commenting on its HydroFlex agreement with Preem, Topsoe’s Chief Commercial Officer Elena Scaltritti, said: “Society needs a significant upscaling of renewable fuels for aviation. We’re excited to take another step on the path to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector and aviation in particular. Together with Preem, we already have a proven track record of delivering impactful results within renewable fuels production and we’re looking forward to continuing working with Preem on this important task.”

Preem’s refineries in Lysekil and Gothenburg account for around 80% of the Swedish refinery capacity and 35-40% of the Nordic capacity. The company has set a goal that by 2035, it will produce five million cubic metres of renewable fuels annually and to achieve climate neutrality across its entire value chain.

At the Lysekil refinery, the HydroFlex technology will be utilised in Preem’s IsoCracker, a unit that breaks down molecules into lighter components and which will have a capacity of 1.2 million cubic metres per year (22,000 barrels per day) for the production of SAF and renewable diesel.

Topsoe says HydroFlex customers can convert various fats, oils and greases into drop-in renewable jet and diesel that meet all globally accepted specifications and can be deployed in both grassroots units and revamps for co-processing or fully renewable applications.

“We’re thrilled about the revamp of the Lysekil refinery, which is one of the most significant climate investments in Sweden,” said Peter Abrahamsson, Director of Sustainable Development at Preem. “The demand for sustainable aviation fuels is increasing rapidly and we are already in dialogue with several major airlines. With this investment, Preem takes another decisive step in the transition from fossil to renewable production.”

Topsoe’s 50/50 JV with Sasol, which is to be located in the Netherlands, aims to develop, build, own and operate SAF plants, as well as market SAF derived primarily from non-fossil feedstocks, utilising green hydrogen and sustainable sources of CO2 and/or biomass.

Jan Toschka will take up his role as CEO of the JV in March, when the new company will be launched. He has spent 14 years at Shell, culminating as President of Shell Aviation since November 2021.

“Jan holds unique competencies from having already been working within the aviation industry, and he has a highly entrepreneurial mindset, which is what we need to get the joint venture off to a great start,” commented Roeland Baan, Topsoe CEO. “There’s no time to waste in boosting production of SAF to decarbonise the aviation industry and with Jan joining, I am confident that the JV will deliver a remarkable contribution to the world’s global ambition of reaching net zero.”

Responded Toschka: “The joint venture is formed by two industry leaders whose ambition is to take on one of society’s biggest challenges, to help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation industry. This industry is close to my heart and I am very excited to lead the new company.”

Replacing Toschka as President of Shell Aviation is Raman Ojha, who has 18 years of experience at Shell and previously headed up the company’s construction and road business.

Photo: Preem’s Lysekil refinery

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A new study by European lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E) has identified commitments to build 45 e-kerosene plants in 10 European nations, with combined potential to produce more synthetic aviation fuel by 2030 than required by the EU’s RefuelEU mandate. The group says 25 of the proposals are industrial scale and 20 are pilot projects but cautions that their futures are “very uncertain” as none have yet achieved final investment decisions. The T&E tally of promised e-kerosene facilities is 17 higher than its last count late in 2022 when it listed 28 announced projects to produce synthetic fuels for aviation. The study coincides with confirmation that low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle has invested in Norsk e-Fuel, which is planning to build a large-scale electrofuel (e-fuel) production facility, while Nordic Electrofuel has secured a €40 million ($44m) grant from the EU Innovation Fund towards construction of its commercial-scale e-fuel plant in southern Norway.

Synthetic fuels are produced through a pathway known as power-to-liquid (PtL) which combines carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere or directly from industrial plants with green hydrogen, produced by electrolysing water with renewable electricity. This process is increasingly viewed as a primary future source of SAF, as CO2 provides an abundant and easy-to-acquire feedstock for alternative fuels, compared to current ingredients of used fats, oils and greases or solid waste biomass.

While the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation has been designed to de-risk SAF production by establishing escalating blending mandates to ensure long term, predictable demand, T&E says there remain significant impediments to e-fuel production, including scarce supplies of green hydrogen and sustainable carbon sources, plus reluctance by many airlines to sign purchase agreements.

“We see proposals for e-kerosene plants springing up like mushrooms around Europe,” said Camille Mutrelle, SAF Expert at T&E. “The EU could meet its 2030 target to power planes with e-fuels. But the road is still long before we actually see e-kerosene in our planes. We need to move from paper to reality and ensure that e-kerosene projects truly materialise, or else the law will be nothing but empty words.”

ReFuelEU Aviation requires jet fuel suppliers to include e-kerosene in the blended supplies they deliver to EU airports, beginning with 1.2% in 2030 and increasing to 35% by 2050. 

The study says the 25 industrial projects identified by T&E have the ambition to produce 1.7 Mt of e-kerosene by 2030 – well over the 600 kt obliged under ReFuelEU, and sufficient to power the equivalent of 70,000 transatlantic flights, while avoiding a total of 4.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Of the 10 countries assessed, it found Norway, Germany and France to be the leading proponents of e-kerosene production. Norway’s e-kerosene plans are the most advanced in the markets surveyed, with total production capacity of 420,000 tonnes planned in 2030, and two of its companies, Nordic Electrofuel and Norsk e-Fuel, targeting almost 25% of the European market. 

Germany is targeting 0.5% e-kerosene use at its airports from 2026, increasing to 2% in 2030, while France has committed €200 million ($220m) to support innovative SAF programmes.  

The study adds that Norway, France, Germany and Sweden are attracting most investments in e-kerosene projects and says 80% of production is likely to be in these countries, “whereas Italy, Poland, Belgium, and, more broadly, eastern European states, are nowhere to be seen on the map.”

T&E’s e-kerosene research reveals a two-speed Europe, said Mutrelle. “While countries like Norway, Germany and France are pulling ahead in the e-kerosene race with some promising projects on the horizon, other countries like Spain, Italy and Poland are lagging behind and not making use of their potential,” she said.

“Ramping up the production of e-fuels for aviation should be a priority of national aviation decarbonisation strategies. Europe needs all the e-kerosene it can produce in order to convert dreams of more sustainable flights into reality.”

T&E said impediments to scaling up e-kerosene production in Europe include a lack of incentives to supply the fuel before 2030, limited availability of renewable hydrogen and carbon sources, insufficiently targeted EU funding for hydrogen use in hard-to-electrify sectors including aviation and shipping, and high production costs, the latter a significant barrier to securing offtake agreements with airlines.

The study therefore recommends prioritising the use of e-fuels in aviation and shipping, more EU funding focus on the use of hydrogen in these sectors, “meaningful” direct air capture policy incentives to increase CO2 transformation to fuel and establishment by EU states of pre-2030 targets to boost early supply of e-kerosene.

Interactive map of planned major e-kerosene projects in Europe (source: T&E)

Confirming Norway’s e-kerosene leadership, low-cost airline Norwegian has just formalised an initial investment of more than NOK 12 million ($1.1m) in Norsk e-Fuel, as part of  the carrier’s commitment to reduce its aircraft CO2 emissions 45% by 2030, and to secure assured supplies of SAF.

Norsk plans to build what it claims could be the world’s first large-scale production facility for e-fuel at a site in Mosjøen, northern Norway, close to the Arctic Circle. The companies say SAF could be flowing from the Mosjøen plant from late 2026.

The airline will secure more than 7,000 tonnes of fuel per year from the initial plant, a volume it says corresponds to its total fuel consumption in carrying 430,000 passengers between Oslo and Bodø in the country’s north-west – almost 80% of the 550,000 passengers the airline carries each year on that route.

It has pledged to invest a further NOK 40-50 million if plans for two additional factories progress, potentially increasing its SAF supplies from Norsk e-Fuel to 29,000 tonnes per year.

“This agreement marks the start of a pioneering partnership that will accelerate the transition to fossil-free fuels in aviation and give us access to a product that will be available in limited quantities,” commented Norwegian’s CEO, Geir Karlsen. “Increased production of this type of fuel is essential in the years to come if we are to succeed in the transition to more sustainable aviation.”

Norsk e-Fuel’s CEO, Karl Hauptmeier, said his company has ambitious plans to increase production, and the commitments of Norwegian and other partners “show the understanding of the critical role of e-fuels in shaping a future for aviation that is free from fossil fuels, both in Norway and across Europe.”

In addition to supplying Norwegian, Norsk e-Fuel has signed an e-kerosene offtake agreement with cargo operator Cargolux.

“E-fuel will be a major pillar to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in aviation,” said Richard Forson, CEO of Cargolux. “E-fuels are based on abundant feedstocks such as carbon dioxide and when produced with green electricity, the Norsk e-Fuel project will provide one of the highest greenhouse gas savings compared to conventional jet fuel. We look forward to offering our customers the option to have the ability to voluntarily enhance the sustainability initiatives through the use of e-fuels for their shipments as of late 2026.”

Norsk e-Fuel has also just signed an agreement with Gen2 Energy on the supply of green hydrogen for use as a feedstock for the Mosjøen facility. The two companies will have neighbouring plots at the Nesbrucket industrial site, where Gen2 Energy is planning large-scale production and supply of green hydrogen. As well as supplying Norsk e-Fuel, and subject to an investment decision later this year, Gen2 Energy is targeting export of green hydrogen to offtakers in Europe.

Direct air capture technology from Climeworks will be integrated in the production process, filtering CO2 from the atmosphere, with electrolysers from Dresden-based Sunfire at the core of the conversion process.

Vying with Norsk e-Fuel to build the world’s first commercial-scale aviation e-fuels production facility, Nordic Electrofuel has been awarded a €40 million ($44m) grant from the EU Innovation Fund’s pilot programme to support the construction of its plant at Herøya Industrial Park, Porsgrunn, in southern Norway.

In June last year, the company entered into a collaboration with Hamburg, Germany-based PtL technology company P2X-Europe for the long-term supply of synthetic fuels, in particular e-fuels for aviation (eSAF). Nordic Electrofuel will produce synthetic crude in Norway, which P2X-Europe will upgrade to eSAF and other synthetic products. Initial production and supply volume has been set at around 8,000 tonnes per annum, with plans for future production scale-up.

Top image: Illustration of the proposed 24,000-square-metre Norsk e-Fuel Mosjøen facility

Tony Harrington

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US public charter airline JSX has announced plans to acquire up to 332 hybrid-electric aircraft from three emerging manufacturers, potentially increasing its current fleet eight-fold. The Texas-based operator, which sells individual seats on flights to private air terminals, has announced 132 firm orders and 200 options for aircraft ranging from nine to 30 seats, dramatically expanding its current complement of 48 Embraer E145 regional jets. Of the new aircraft, JSX has committed to take 32 US-made Electra short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, with options for 50 more of the nine-seaters, 50 firm orders and 100 options for 19-seat ERA aircraft from French airframer AURA AERO, and 50 firm orders plus 50 options for 30-seat ES-30 commuter planes from Sweden’s Heart Aerospace. Meanwhile, electric seaplane maker Elfly Group and Lofoten Green Islands, a public-private partnership, are to collaborate on introducing zero-emission regional flights in Norway’s remote Artic north-west.

Describing itself as a “hop-on public charter jet service for all”, JSX operates up to 120 daily flights with its 30-seat Embraers to 24 business and leisure destinations in eight US states, plus Mexico and The Bahamas.

“As network airlines order ever-larger aircraft it is inevitable that more and more small markets will be abandoned,” said JSX co-founder and CEO Alex Wilcox, a former senior executive of JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic Airways and former Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines, and current Board member of LATAM Airlines.

“Electra, AURA AERO, and Heart Aerospace are visionary organisations that share in JSX’s commitment to serving smaller communities,” he said, “working together with us to weave sustainable regional air travel back into the fabric of American commerce and freedom of movement.”

The electric aircraft deals reflect a strategy by JSX to grow into a range of unserved or under-served secondary markets with a mix of zero-emission aircraft types offering different capabilities.

The largest is the four-engine ES-30 commuter airliner being developed by Heart Aerospace, with which JSX has signed a letter of intent to acquire up to 100 aircraft.

The ES-30s are designed to carry 30 passengers up to 200 kilometres using fully electric zero emission propulsion, and up to 400 kilometres using hybrid power, with potential to carry 25 passengers up to 800 kilometres when using typical airline fuel reserves.

“We’re really excited to be part of the JSX commitment toward sustainable regional air travel,” said Heart’s President and CCO, Simon Newitt. “The ES-30, with its competitive economics and green credentials, fits very well with JSX’s vision, and we see not only the opportunity to reconnect many regional routes lost over the years, but also open many more new ones.  We believe this transformation will be good for the consumer, good for the economy, as well as for the environment.”

Heart has secured a total of 250 firm orders, plus options and purchase rights for another 120 and, including the JSX agreement, holds letters of intent for another 191.

JSX has also signed a letter of intent with the French regional aircraft maker AURA AERO for up to 150 ERA aircraft, providing the flexibility to serve smaller markets or to offer more frequent service on existing routes with lower capacity planes.

The hybrid-electric ERA is an eight-motor aircraft, designed to carry up to 19 passengers or 1.9 tons of freight, has a flight range up to 1,600 kilometres, and can operate on short or unsealed runways.

The company says it has almost 500 orders for the aircraft, which it is aiming to introduce into commercial service before 2030.

“We are very proud to have been selected by JSX, one of the key operators in the US, to support the development of their regional network,” said Jeremy Caussade, President and Co-founder of AURA AERO. “ERA, our low-carbon aircraft, provides the performances required for JSX to bring air connectivity to more local communities.”

The smallest of the new aircraft types selected by JSX is the nine-seat Electra short take-off or landing (eSTOL) aircraft. JSX has signed a letter of intent to take up to 82 of the eight-motor aircraft from Virginia, USA-based Electra, with the first expected to join the airline in 2028.

The Electra eSTOL, for which 1,600 orders and options have been secured from 35 operators, is designed to take off or land on airstrips of less than 150 feet (46 metres) at speeds as low as 35 mph (56 kph), and to fly up to 500 nautical miles (926 kilometres), enabling services to be operated to and from small runways, airstrips or spaces inaccessible to larger fixed-wing aircraft.

It also enables low-capacity passenger or freight flights into regional communities, or low-volume, high-frequency services into small markets not served by other airlines.

“With the Electra eSTOL aircraft, JSX can dramatically lower the cost of its service and open new flight options at over 2,000 US airports, stimulating local economies and empowering regional mobility and connectivity for communities devoid of regular air service today,” said the airframer.

In Norway, electric seaplane developer Elfly Group has signed a letter of intent with Lofoten Green Islands, a private-public partnership for sustainable development, to progress the introduction of zero emission regional aviation in the Lofoten Archipelago in the country’s Arctic north-west, in line with the national target of emission-free domestic aviation by 2040.

The agreement was signed between Elfly, which is developing the all-electric ‘Noemi’ (no emissions) seaplane, and Lofoten Council, Destination Lofoten and regional energy provider Lofotkraft on behalf of six local municipalities.

The aircraft is inspired by a combination of the de Havilland Twin Otter and Grumman Mallard, its design funded by private investors and the Research Council of Norway. It will be powered by two battery-electric engines with a combined 1MW output and offer a flight range of up to 200 kilometres.

An experimental prototype of the aircraft is being prepared for test flights from 2026, in partnership with the Norwegian government and Enova SF.

Elfly is seeking certification of its test vehicle to CS23 Level 4, which would enable evolution of the prototype from a six or nine-seat business aircraft or a 13-seat tourist version up to a 19-seat seaplane, with additional plans for cargo or medevac versions.

The communities of the Lofoten region are remote, with access to and between the region’s islands often challenging and time-consuming, and some connections provided by regular helicopter services.

“Lofoten is a spectacular but demanding geographical area where ground transport takes a long time,” said Vidar Thom Benjaminsen, Mayor of the region’s Vågan Municipality and head of the Lofoten Regional Council.

“An electric aircraft capable of landing on water in a safe and good way, affordably priced, will be very good for Lofoten. We can travel from Svolvӕr to Reine in less than half an hour and make better connections with larger regional centres,” he said.

“Electric seaplanes with boat hulls and good stability can add exciting new travel opportunities within Lofoten,” added Hanna Sverdrup, Mayor of Moskenes “Our fishing villages can be connected by seaplane from port to port and they can help open new business opportunities for Reine, our most popular and iconic destination.”

Eric Lithun, CEO and founder of Elfly Group, said the new partnership demonstrated electric seaplanes could meet community needs in remote and challenging regions such as Lofoten. “We are proud to have the Lofoten Regional Council on board with us on this journey as we work to develop a product which suits their needs in the region, supporting travel and tourism, but also addressing the local transport needs for Lofoten inhabitants. Seaplanes will return.”

Image: AURA AERO’s ERA 19-seater hybrid-electric regional aircraft in JSX livery

Tony Harrington

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A project with a proposed entry into service by 2026 of an all-electric passenger aircraft on domestic routes in Norway has been shelved after extensive research by the plane’s developer, Tecnam, concluded a short battery life would make it commercially unviable. The Italian airframer had partnered with Rolls-Royce to develop a zero-emission, high-utilisation capability platform called P-Volt, with the partnership extended to include Norwegian operator Widerøe in early 2021 The country’s biggest regional airline has a large domestic network where flight distances are less than 275 km. However, after a three-year study covering the entire life-cycle of an all-electric aircraft, Tecnam has decided, at least for now, that even under optimistic projections, operators would need to replace the entire battery storage unit after only a few hundred flights, with a dramatic increase in direct operating costs due to the reserves for battery replacement prices.

“Since the beginning of the P-Volt development, Tecnam’s focus has been to provide operators with the ability to fly an all-electric passenger aircraft profitably, efficiently and sustainably in terms of operating costs, emissions, performance, turnaround and time to market,” said a company statement. “At present, Tecnam believes that these can only be achieved by extremely aggressive speculation on uncertain technology developments.

“The proliferation of aircraft with ‘new’ batteries would lead to unrealistic mission profiles that would quickly degrade after a few weeks of operation, making the all-electric passenger aircraft a mere ‘green transition flagship’ rather than a real player in the decarbonisation of aviation.”

Under the company’s most optimistic future scenario of slow charge cycles and the possible limitation of the maximum charge level per cycle, the real storage capacity would fall below 170Wh/kg, whereas by comparison, jet fuel has an energy density of 12,000Wh/kg.

Tecnam said the programme was being postponed rather than cancelled and is “ready to bring the P-Volt back into the type certification arena as soon as technology evolution allows.”

Fabio Russo, the company’s Chief R&D Officer, added: “We hope that new technologies will make businesses viable sooner rather than later and we have real confidence in our partners’ ability to bring highly valuable products to the zero-emission powertrain and energy storage arena.”

The P-Volt is based on the 11-seat Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft and seen as ideal for short take-off and landing, as well as for Widerøe’s routes along the north and west coast of Norway. The airline’s shortest flight durations are between seven and 15 minutes. In March, it announced the three-year Widerøe Zero project, which, with backing from Norway’s Research Council, will explore possible operating concepts for both a nine-seater electric aircraft and an eVTOL aircraft.

The country has an ambition of having the first electrified aircraft in ordinary domestic scheduled flights by 2030 and an 80% emissions reduction from domestic flights by 2040.

Image: Tecnam’s P-Volt all-electric aircraft in Widerøe livery

Low-cost airline Norwegian has partnered with renewable energy company Norsk e-Fuel to build the world’s first full-scale production plant for zero-emission, electricity-based fuel (e-fuel). Norsk will construct the power-to-liquid (PtL) facility at Mosjøen, in northern Norway, and is targeting production of sustainable aviation fuel as early as 2026. E-fuel is created by combining captured carbon dioxide with green hydrogen using sustainably-generated power. Norwegian is targeting a 45% reduction in its flight emissions by 2030, when it expects to source around 20% of its SAF supplies from Norsk. The collaboration includes a NOK 50 million ($4.7m) purchase by Norwegian of a minority stake in Norsk, extending the growing global trend for airlines to invest in SAF production to help secure their own supplies. Their partnership also builds upon existing programmes to decarbonise Norway’s air transport sector, including electrification of all domestic flights by 2040.

Norwegian operates a fleet of almost 80 Boeing 737-800 and new, more fuel-efficient B737 MAX 8 twinjets throughout Europe, with 50 more of the new type to be delivered between 2025 and 2028, in parallel with the airline’s growing use of SAF, including the e-fuel from Norsk. The airline also has options to acquire another 30 737 MAX 8 jets between 2028 and 2030.

In addition to the partnership with Norsk e-Fuel, the airline’s CEO, Geir Karlsen, flagged the prospect of more industrial partnerships to progress the company’s sustainability ambitions.

“Our sector contributes to great value creation, both socially and economically, and we commit to significantly reducing our climate impact as we take advantage of technological advances within aviation fuel,” he said. “E-fuels can become a game changer for aviation. The partnership with Norsk e-Fuel is a landmark agreement for Norwegian, but also a milestone for aviation in Norway.

“We are actively supporting the Norwegian processing industry and contributing to local economic growth, whilst at the same time taking a major leap towards making sustainable air travel a reality. To us, this marks the beginning of a new era, and we will consider entering into several future partnerships to achieve our climate goals.”

But, he warned: “Sustainable aviation fuel needs to become both more available and less expensive. To make this a reality, the aviation industry depends on collaborating with public authorities to close the price gap between fossil fuels and e-fuels. Ultimately, e-fuels will be able to compete with and replace fossil fuels. Time is crucial, and we are very eager to get started.”

Backed by five strategic investors and other partners, Norsk e-Fuel is committed to industrialising PtL fuel production, and plans to develop multiple large-scale sites to produce synthetic fuels for aviation.  

Mosjøen, the Norwegian town chosen as the site for Norsk’s first e-fuel plant, has stable access to renewable energy from hydropower, providing some of Europe’s most affordable electricity. The town also has port and rail infrastructure supporting the transportation of fuel.

Lars Bjørn Larsen, CCO of Norsk e-Fuel, described the partnership with Norwegian as industry-leading in the transition to sustainable aviation. “This is quite unique,” he said. “We are looking forward to many more joining us on the journey.”

Following a strategy of “take what we have and turn it into what we need”, the company said it would use 100% renewable energy, water and CO2, both recycled or directly captured from the atmosphere, to create sustainable fuels.

“As project developer, Norsk e-Fuel is establishing large-scale production sites to deliver synthetic fuels to the aviation industry. The company is determined to develop a new value chain for sustainable fuels, starting with the Mosjøen production facility,” reported the company.

The final product reduces greenhouse gas emission by 99% compared to fossil fuels, claims the company, a figure calculated according to the EU ETS InnovFund grant scheme and audited by risk management group DNV.

In addition to the e-fuel plan, Norway is targeting the transition of all short-haul domestic flights to electric propulsion by 2040 as part of a national commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. With a mountainous mainland and numerous offshore islands, the country relies heavily on short-range flights, some as short as 15-to-30 minutes.

The state-owned airport administrator, Avinor, which manages 43 airports, is working with government and industry partners to develop a programme to enable the introduction of electric aircraft. The projects include evaluation of incentives to help progress the implementation of electric-powered flights and assessments of potential side-effects including environmental impact, and any effects on competition in Norway’s aviation sector.

Among the industry partners is regional airline Widerøe, which has urged the Norwegian government to establish a ‘CO2 fund’ to promote the use of biofuels and development of infrastructure for zero-emissions air transport. The airlines also urged the government to support the transition to zero-emission flights through measures including airfare tax exemptions for flights on zero-emission aircraft, lower aviation taxes for electric aircraft, facilitation of charging infrastructure at Norwegian airports and mandatory use of electric aircraft on subsidised public service obligation routes.

Photo: Norwegian