From Methanol to Aviation Fuel—New Demonstration Plant Begins Operations!
Great news: A new facility for testing synthetic aviation fuels has been inaugurated at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. In collaboration with the company Metafuels, the “aerobrew” technology will be tested and further developed there under real-world conditions.
An overview of the process:
1. Hydrogen is produced from water using renewable electricity
2. The hydrogen is converted into methanol with carbon dioxide
3. This methanol is then used to produce synthetic aviation fuel—known as SAF
Good to know:
According to the PSI, it is the first facility to combine all the necessary steps for converting methanol into synthetic jet fuel at a single site.
Metafuels plans to operate its first commercial plant using this technology starting in 2030. Until then, the process will be further tested, optimized, and prepared for larger production volumes.
It is important to note that the actual greenhouse gas footprint of synthetic aviation fuels depends, among other things, on the source of the electricity and carbon dioxide used, as well as on production and transportation. A transparent assessment of the entire life cycle is therefore crucial.
