Boeing partners with Norsk e-Fuel to advance SAF production

Photo: Boeing

Boeing has become a key project-development partner of Norsk e-Fuel, supporting one of Europe’s first industrial-scale power-to-liquids (PtL) facilities.  

Boeing said its investment will accelerate the production and availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Nordics and globally.  

It is also intended to support the commercial aviation industry’s and International Civil Aviation Organization member states’ common goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Norsk e-Fuel will produce jet fuel known as electro-SAF, or eSAF. 

This involves the PtL process: using fossil-free power to generate green hydrogen and combining it with recycled CO2 from biogenic sources.  

This fuel can reduce the lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions of air travel by over 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel. 

“Our support of and collaboration with Norsk e-Fuel underscores the importance of using fossil-free energy to accelerate SAF production, which is key to reducing aviation’s carbon emissions towards 2050,” said Steve Gillard, Boeing’s regional sustainability director for Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Central Asia. “Our partnership to advance eFuels will help mobilize the commercialization of SAF in the Nordics and across the world, increasing accessibility and availability for our customers as we help build a robust SAF ecosystem.” 

It is estimated that SAF accounted for only 0.53 percent of the global commercial-fuel use in 2024.  

In Europe, the RefuelEU SAF initiative’s proposed mandate aims to gradually increase the share of SAF, reaching a target of 6 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050.  

There are also submandates for eSAF, such as that produced by Norsk e-Fuel, with targets of 1.2 percent in 2030 increasing to 35 percent in 2050. 

Boeing’s investment will contribute to achieving the SAF volumes needed by the EU commitments and strengthen national energy security across the Nordics.  

The partnership will also inform policies that enable the economic viability of the global SAF industry, while supporting long-term competitiveness of the aviation industry in the region. 

“Our goal is to make eFuels competitive with and eventually replace fossil fuels in critical infrastructures as SAF needs to become readily accessible and affordable for advancing aviation’s decarbonization,” said Lars Bjørn Larsen, the chief commercial officer of Norsk e-Fuel. “Boeing’s investment will further accelerate our project pipeline and will facilitate the broader aviation industry’s transition to net-zero emissions.” 

The strategic partnership combines Boeing’s SAF industry leadership and fuels expertise with Norsk e-Fuel’s technology know-how and strong network of partners, including Norway’s largest air carrier, Norwegian. 

“We are pleased to welcome Boeing on board,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian. “Their investment marks a significant milestone for Norsk e-Fuel and confirms the positive development we have had. We look forward to leveraging Boeing’s expertise and experience in the development and growth of this pioneering industry. This investment also reinforces the need for a supportive policy environment to fully realize the potential of eFuels production in Norway, in line with the Norwegian parliament’s call.”