• rsz_airbus_50th_years_anniversary_formation_flight_-_air_to_air
    Airbus
    Stock Code:
    AIR
    Date Founded:
    1970-12-18
    CEO:
    Guillaume Faury
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Key Product Lines:
    Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
    Business Type:
    Planemaker

A consortium made up of four major aviation and energy stakeholders today shared details of a new industrial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plan. The Green Fuels Hamburg project looks to become a major player in the bid to achieve climate-neutral aviation in Germany.

Power-to-Liquid ambitions

There are high hopes for the upcoming Hamburg-based facility. In its initial phase from 2026, it's expected to produce at least 10,000 tonnes of PtL (Power-to-Liquid) SAF each year. This figure would account for 20% of the PtL-SAF required by the government of Germany in its PtL Roadmap for SAF blends from the same period.

PtL is a synthetically created liquid hydrocarbon. Renewable electricity is the prime energy source, and water and carbon dioxide are the main resources used in the process, which consists of three core steps.

Overall, renewable energy powers electrolyzers to form green hydrogen. Then climate-neutral CO₂ captured through steps such as direct air carbon capture is transformed into carbon feedstock. The feedstock is then synthesized with green hydrogen to generate liquid hydrocarbons that are converted to give way to a synthetic equivalent to kerosene.

PtL

The TUHH Technical University of Hamburg is a research partner of the Hamburg senate and Hamburg Airport-back project. Photo: Airbus

Airbus is partnering with others to produce PtL at a large scale. Part of this initiative is the new Green Fuels Hamburg program.

Along with Airbus, the three other stakeholders have a strong presence across the aviation and fuel market.

  • Uniper - Düsseldorf-based energy firm formed by the separation of E.ON's fossil fuel assets into a distinct company in 2016.
  • Siemens Energy - created by the spin-off of the former gas and power branch of the Siemens Group in 2020.
  • Sasol EcoFT - South Africa-headquartered integrated energy and chemical veteran.

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Fuel potential

The quad of companies turned to Hamburg for its proximity to renewable energy sources and its existing presence in the SAF industry. The goal is to build an electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen using electricity provided by offshore wind power.

Airbus concedes that conventional SAF isn’t the silver bullet to addressing climate concerns. It will play a crucial role along with two other notable factors.

Dr. Andre Walter, Head of Plant and Industrial Site Hamburg at Airbus Operations shared the following in a statement:

"For a climate-neutral future in aviation, three things are crucial from Airbus' point of view: first, increasing the efficiency of our aircraft and modernizing the fleet; second, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF); and third, hydrogen as an energy carrier. As is well known, green hydrogen is also needed for PtL kerosene, also known as eSAF. Green Fuels Hamburg will make an important contribution to the ramp-up of PtL production in Germany and could become a technology export hit! Airbus has been involved in the use and market development of SAF for several years. Most of our Beluga flights are operated from Hamburg with an 18% blend. In this respect, it is only logical that we are involved in a project in Hamburg and stand ready as a buyer of the PtL kerosene produced together with customers of Hamburg Airport."

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Plenty of ground

Airbus has already shown that it is taking action to cover the broader spectrum. It is investing heavily to introduce the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035, based on hydrogen propulsion.

The company has taken steps such as launching a Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) for hydrogen technologies in the UK. Moreover, this week, it announced a hydrogen consortium to accelerate the transition to a net-zero future. Airbus even flew an A380 on 100% SAF made from used cooking oil in March.

It’s not only members of this consortium that recognize the importance of these steps. For instance, CFM, a major manufacturer of jet engines, believes in a hydrogen future, touting the element as the true zero-carbon solution.

Altogether, Airbus and other major aviation stakeholders are putting plans into action in this chapter. Companies have long spoken about the requirements of change, but activity is actually happening.

From Airbus’ hydrogen network partnership with Air Liquide and VINCI Airports to its SAF production facilities, plenty of ground is being covered in the green energy space. The industry will be hoping for several more breakthroughs before the decade is over.

What are your thoughts about the Green Fuels Hamburg project? What do you make of the overall plans in this space? Let us know what you think of the scene in the comment section.