Metafuels and PSI, the developers of groundbreaking technology for sustainable aviation fuel compatible with existing aircraft, announce a substantial CHF 4.4 m funding grant from the Swiss Government’s Federal Office of Energy.

The funds will contribute to the implementation and operation of a pilot facility based on Metafuels’ sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) technology, aerobrew, which is being developed in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Switzerland’s largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences. Set to be the country’s first such plant, the facility will be installed at the PSI campus in Villigen AG and will focus on demonstrating groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel technology for large-scale commercial deployment.

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Metafuels, along with technology development partner PSI, have secured the grant funding under the Pilot & Demonstration (P&D) programme, on account of the highly innovative nature of their technology and close alignment with the key objectives of the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050. The timing is crucial, as the decarbonization of aviation emerges as one of the greatest technological challenges. While current alternatives such as electrification and hydrogen remain years away from widespread adoption, especially for long-haul flights due to logistical and design hurdles, sustainable aviation fuel emerges as a viable drop-in replacement for conventional kerosene.

Metafuels focuses on sustainable aviation fuel made using renewable electricity (e-SAF)—a further environmentally-refined version of what has emerged as the leading long-term strategy to decarbonize air travel. It does not require the re-engineering or re-purchase of aircraft—nor a redesign of the underlying fueling infrastructure which supports both commercial and cargo airlines, route planning, and the existing customer experience, all of which make it an attractive and versatile option.

aerobrew e-SAF can replace conventional kerosene regardless of the size and type of aircraft or whether it operates short- or long-haul. But unlike competitors in this space, aerobrew technology aims to achieve the lowest cost of production through high efficiency and ultra-high yield of e-SAF. Similarly, the technology is expected to achieve high environmental performance—through an up to 90% reduction of life cycle emissions and not chipping away at food and feed supply chains.

The justification for such technology is clear. The aviation sector accounts for over 2% of global CO2 emissions—some 800 million tonnes. This is in addition to the production of other greenhouse gases and complex climate co-factors arising from the nature and altitude of the emissions which brings the effective figure closer to 3.5%.

Saurabh Kapoor, CEO and co-founder at Metafuels, says: “International business travel – powered by aviation – as well as the exporting of key Swiss goods – represent a significant proportion of the Swiss economy, and a key challenge to overcome in decarbonising the Swiss economy. Two of our major airports, Zurich and Geneva, are both international transportation hubs connecting passengers East to West, and across Europe – so decarbonising our aviation industry will also play a role in the mission to decarbonise the global economy. We are proud to secure this grant, not only for the important work it will fund to bring our technology to life – but what it represents, placing us at the heart of an increasingly innovative, start-up oriented Swiss economy.”

PSI – a place where basic research and the art of engineering come together

Construction of the new pilot plant will take place in a three-storey research hall on the campus of the Paul Scherrer Institute. It will be part of the Energy System Integration or ESI Platform – a test platform, where promising approaches to energy conversion processes for research and industry can be tested in all their complex connections and interrelations.

“Thanks to our expertise in both basic research and engineering sciences, as well as our many years of experience in the development and operation of such large-scale systems, our collaboration with Metafuels will accelerate the implementation of this novel technology for the decarbonization of the aviation industry.” says Marco Ranocchiari, head of the ESI platform at PSI.

The pilot plant for converting methanol into e-SAF on this scale will be the first of its kind in Switzerland. The aim is to demonstrate the aerobrew technology, with the next step being scale-up to large-scale commercial use.

The aerobrew technology enables a seamless transition away from fossil-based kerosene using a proprietary process for the conversion of green methanol to e-SAF. Green methanol is a chemical produced from green hydrogen (H₂) and sustainably-sourced carbon dioxide. Green H₂ can be generated from water electrolysis driven by renewable electricity, whilst CO₂ can be captured from biogenic sources including wastes and residues in the short-term—and through direct air capture in the long-term.

Metafuels – alongside PSI – have secured this grant, as they are addressing the major issues with e-SAF – scalability, efficiency and cost. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)—a blanket term for aircraft fuels made from sustainable carbon sources—is not new. What has eluded the industry so far is a SAF of any variety that can be affordable, produced efficiently at commercial scale and make a meaningful dent in any airline’s net emissions. This is the core problem that the two partners now want to solve together. This is sustainably produced kerosene, made from a two-step process that turns green methanol to kerosene.

Critically, unlike many of its competitors, Metafuels is focused on a technology that produces jet fuel as its primary output. Ultimately, this highly selective approach, simultaneously targeting high yield and high energy efficiency, is expected to lead to industry leading cost of e-SAF production.