Articles tagged with "e-fuels"
A US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Startup Takes Aim At Fossil Fuels
The article highlights the advancements of Syzygy Plasmonics, a Houston-based US startup focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a means to reduce reliance on fossil kerosene jet fuel. While electrification is considered the ideal solution for aircraft decarbonization, it currently applies mainly to small aircraft and short routes. For larger, long-haul aircraft, alternative liquid fuels like SAF remain critical. Syzygy’s approach involves a proprietary photoreactor technology called Rigel™, which uses renewable energy to produce light that drives chemical reactions in a biogas reactor. This method enables scalable production of hydrogen, syngas, and other fuels, including sustainable aviation fuels, by leveraging plasmonic metallic nanoparticles to catalyze reactions efficiently without combustion. The company’s technology builds on research from the 1970s and recent breakthroughs in plasmonic antenna systems, enabling practical commercial applications. Syzygy has attracted significant investment and support from both government agencies and major energy and industrial
energysustainable-aviation-fuele-fuelsrenewable-energyclean-technologybiofuelscarbon-captureThe EU’s Investment Giant Needs To Step Up On Clean Transport - CleanTechnica
The article discusses the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) role and responsibilities in advancing clean transport within the EU. While the EIB has made significant investments in road and rail electrification and urban mobility, it still supports some fossil fuel-related projects and technologies like plug-in hybrids, LNG, e-fuels for road transport, and biofuels. Notably, the bank’s €800 million loan to expand Spanish airports contradicts its climate commitments. The EIB’s current 2020–2025 Climate Bank Roadmap (CBR1) aimed to align operations with EU climate goals and surpass 50% green lending, but the upcoming 2026–2030 roadmap (CBR2) maintains the same green lending target without raising ambition, missing an opportunity to deepen climate action. Looking ahead, the article highlights three key investment priorities for the EIB to enhance its climate impact: first, supporting clean fuels for aviation and shipping, sectors that remain difficult to decarbonize and urgently
energyclean-transportEuropean-Investment-Bankdecarbonizatione-fuelsbattery-value-chainsustainable-financeSpain & Denmark Leading the Way on Green Shipping Fuels — Study - CleanTechnica
A recent study highlighted that Spain, Denmark, Norway, and France are leading Europe in developing green e-fuels for the shipping sector, with up to 80 projects identified that could produce over 3.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2032. However, only about 5% of these volumes are clearly dedicated to maritime use, and few projects have reached final investment or operational stages. This slow progress is largely attributed to a lack of regulatory certainty and insufficiently ambitious shipping fuel targets within the EU, which discourages investment and project scaling. Norway currently leads in marine e-fuel production volumes, followed by Spain, Finland, and Denmark. A notable milestone is the Kassø project by European Energy, which began supplying e-methanol to Maersk in 2025, marking Europe’s first and largest marine e-fuel initiative. The study also found that shipping is a major potential consumer of e-ammonia and e-methanol, often surpassing traditional sectors like
energygreen-fuelsshippinge-fuelshydrogenrenewable-energymaritime-energyShipping e-fuels Production in Europe: State of Play in 2025 - CleanTechnica
The 2025 update from Transport & Environment’s (T&E) shipping e-fuels observatory highlights that Europe’s development of green hydrogen and e-fuels for the maritime sector remains fragile and insufficient to meet upcoming regulatory targets. Out of 80 projects identified across Europe with a potential combined production of 3.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) by 2032, less than 5% are primarily dedicated to shipping. This production volume falls short of the FuelEU Maritime targets of 1% e-fuel uptake by 2031 and 2% by 2034, signaling weak market signals and insufficient policy support for the maritime transition to e-fuels. The report stresses that without clear EU and national policies coupled with financial incentives, Europe risks failing to meet its shipping e-fuels goals, potentially relying on imported fuels or missing targets altogether. This would undermine Europe’s climate leadership, industrial development, and energy security ambitions. Despite the slow progress, some positive developments exist
energye-fuelsgreen-hydrogenmaritime-energyrenewable-energyEurope-energy-policyshipping-industry-energyThe Sustainable Carbon Challenge for E-fuels - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica discusses the critical role of sustainable carbon sources in the production of e-fuels, which are essential for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify transport sectors like aviation and shipping in Europe’s push toward net-zero emissions by 2050. While road transport is rapidly adopting direct electrification, sectors such as aviation rely on energy-dense e-fuels like e-kerosene (e-SAF), which require significant amounts of green hydrogen and CO₂. Shipping can use e-methanol and e-ammonia, with e-methanol being carbon-based and also dependent on CO₂. The source of CO₂ is crucial because carbon embedded in e-fuels is eventually released back into the atmosphere, so sustainable carbon sources are mandated by EU regulations, which phase out fossil-derived CO₂ by 2041. Currently, two sustainable carbon sources are viable: Direct Air Capture (DAC) and sustainable biogenic CO₂ from biomass processes. In the short to medium
energye-fuelscarbon-capturegreen-hydrogensustainable-energydecarbonizationaviation-fuelsEU Transport Plan Sets Out First Steps To Boost Green Fuel Production For Planes & Ships - CleanTechnica
The EU’s newly published Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) outlines initial measures to boost the production of green e-fuels for aviation and shipping, recognizing their critical role in decarbonizing these sectors. The plan proposes establishing an EU-wide double-sided auction mechanism, modeled on a pilot e-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF) auction, to provide financial incentives and kickstart e-fuel production. However, Transport & Environment (T&E) stresses that these auctions should be exclusively for e-fuels, warning that including biofuels—an already mature industry—could divert limited resources and hinder the growth of the nascent e-fuels market. The plan also relies on existing funding tools like the Hydrogen Bank and Innovation Fund, which have yet to significantly support e-fuels projects due to high costs and lack of long-term contracts. T&E highlights several shortcomings in the STIP, including its soft stance on biofuels and continued promotion of biomethane in shipping, which could mis
energygreen-fuelse-fuelsaviation-decarbonizationmaritime-shippingEU-transport-plansustainable-energyUrgent Need for EU Action on E-Fuels, Taxation, & Air Traffic Growth - CleanTechnica
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has reported on the implementation of the ReFuelEU regulation, revealing that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) uptake remains very low, with only 0.6% of jet fuel supplied to EU airports in 2024 being SAF. Although this figure reflects voluntary deliveries before mandatory quotas take effect, the EU’s current operational SAF production capacity of 1.4 million tonnes is sufficient to meet the 2025 and 2030 targets of 2% and 4.8%, respectively. However, the sector is heavily reliant on imported biofuel feedstocks—69% of which come from outside Europe, mainly China and Malaysia—with used cooking oils (UCOs) comprising 80% of the feedstock. This reliance raises concerns about fraud and sustainability, prompting calls for prioritizing European feedstocks. Notably, despite over 40 e-fuel projects underway in Europe, no e-fuels have yet entered the market, largely due to
energysustainable-aviation-fuelse-fuelsEU-aviationbiofuelscarbon-emissionsrenewable-energyGreen Shipping Fuel Producers Call on IMO to Seize "Once-in-a-Generation" Opportunity - CleanTechnica
A coalition of 27 leading green fuel producers, including European Energy, Liquid Wind, ET Fuels, HIF Global, and Zero Waste, is urging the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt its recently agreed Net Zero Framework (NZF) and to implement specific incentives for green hydrogen-based e-fuels. These producers emphasize that e-fuels offer significantly greater emissions reductions compared to alternatives like LNG and first-generation biofuels, yet currently face a competitive disadvantage due to a lack of targeted policy support. The group highlights the global scope of their projects, spanning Africa, the Americas, Europe, South Asia, and Oceania, underscoring the broad potential impact of supportive IMO policies. Dr. Alison Shaw, IMO manager at Transport & Environment (T&E), stressed the need for policy certainty to enable the scaling of green shipping fuels. She warned that without dedicated incentives, the energy transition in shipping risks stalling, as e-fuels compete against cheaper but less sustainable options such as fossil gas
energygreen-fuele-fuelsIMO-Net-Zero-Frameworkhydrogen-fuelsustainable-shippingdecarbonizationSwiss Startup Launches Solar Gasoline At Fossil Fuels
Swiss startup Synhelion has developed a novel "solar gasoline," a synthetic liquid fuel produced using solar energy in the form of heat. Unlike typical e-fuels that rely on green hydrogen from electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, Synhelion’s process uses concentrated solar heat to drive a thermochemical reaction that converts biogas and water into syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide). This syngas then serves as a precursor to various synthetic fuels, including gasoline, diesel, and kerosene jet fuel. The company highlights that its Sun-to-Liquid fuel cycle is carbon-neutral, releasing only the CO2 previously absorbed during production, making it a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Synhelion recently demonstrated the viability of its solar gasoline by powering a classic 1985 Audi Sport quattro without any engine modifications, showcasing the fuel as a direct drop-in replacement for conventional gasoline. This milestone, achieved at their industrial-scale DAWN plant in Germany, underscores the readiness of their technology for real
energyrenewable-energysolar-gasolinesynthetic-fuelse-fuelssustainable-fuelSynhelionIn West Texas, E-Fuels Are Coming For Your Fossil Fuels
The article discusses Project Roadrunner, a pioneering e-fuels facility being developed by US-based Infinium in Reeves County, West Texas. The project aims to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other low-carbon e-fuels by combining green hydrogen—generated via electrolysis powered by renewable wind and solar energy—with captured carbon dioxide from local industrial emissions. Texas is an ideal location for this initiative due to its dual role as a major oil and gas producer and a leading renewable energy hub, providing both the necessary carbon capture infrastructure and abundant renewable power. Project Roadrunner is expected to produce around 23,000 tonnes (7.6 million gallons) of eSAF annually. Financial backing for the project has been substantial, with the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Fund investing $200 million and allocating an additional $850 million for e-fuel distribution. Recently, HSBC, a UK-based global financial firm, extended significant project-based credit support, signaling its commitment to decarbonization despite shifts in US federal
energyrenewable-energye-fuelsgreen-hydrogensustainable-aviation-fuelcarbon-captureProject-RoadrunnerEurope Risks Losing Its Early E-Fuels Lead for Aviation, Study Warns - CleanTechnica
A new study by Transport & Environment (T&E) highlights Europe’s potential to lead in the production of e-kerosene (also known as e-SAF), a scalable sustainable aviation fuel capable of reducing CO₂ emissions by over 90% compared to fossil kerosene. Europe currently hosts more than half of the world’s announced e-kerosene production capacity, with around 40 large-scale projects planned that could produce nearly 3 million tonnes annually—about 5% of Europe’s aviation fuel needs. This early lead has been driven by the EU’s ReFuelEU law, which sets targets for sustainable aviation fuel use. However, despite these announcements, none of the large-scale plants are under construction, only four projects are at an advanced stage, and none have reached final investment decisions (FID). The slow progress is largely due to financing challenges and the notable absence of traditional fuel suppliers from the market. The study warns that without increased investment and a stable legal framework, Europe risks
energysustainable-aviation-fuele-fuelse-keroseneaviation-decarbonizationrenewable-energyEU-energy-policy