Cooperation agreement signed for innovative eFuels demo plant in Germany
- Topsoe
- 58 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Topsoe, Sasol, Griesemann Gruppe and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have signed a cooperation agreement to enable the construction, operations and R&D activities of DLR’s eFuels demonstration facility for research and production of electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF).
The demonstration plant forms part of DLR’s eFuels Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP) to be constructed at the Leuna Chemical Complex in Germany.
“Demonstration facilities, like the TPP, are essential for proving the capabilities of new technologies and highlighting the viability of innovative products like eFuels,” said Elena Scaltritti, Topsoe’s chief commercial officer. “We are excited to join forces with DLR, Sasol and Griesemann to develop this demonstration plant as well as the technologies that will support the rollout of power-to-liquid fuels at scale.”
Sarushen Pillay, a Sasol executive, added, “DLR, Topsoe and Sasol’s collaboration stretches over many years, and we are proud that the TPP received funding, our efficient and high-yielding G2L™ eFuels technology was selected, and we can be part of demonstrating and developing eFuels production. Together with our partners Topsoe and Griesemann we have a winning team with the expertise to make this project a success, which we believe will be an important step in enabling SAF production at scale, as well as supporting downstream application and flight testing to move us to a fully decarbonized industry.”
Björn Griesemann, CEO at Griesemann Group, said, “The Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels is the basis for future industrial production and the extensive use of sustainable fuels, particularly in aviation. Our engineering enables the technologies developed by Topsoe and Sasol, as well as the research conducted by DLR, to be transferred into feasible, scalable concepts—thus closing the gap between research and practice. Our long-time experience in the implementation of modular projects and renewable energies flows directly into the development of the TPP.”
Manfred Aigner, coordinator of sustainable fuels at DLR, said, “The Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels is the next important step in advancing the market ramp-up of PtL fuels. As a lighthouse project, the TPP offers a unique research platform. Our aim is to work in an application-oriented manner and to close the gap between the laboratory and the refinery in the development of PtL fuels. For this task we value the cooperation with experienced technology providers.”
The TPP facility began construction Oct. 1, 2024, and is expected to be the world’s largest research eFuels production facility and the first in which electricity-based fuels can be demonstrated and tested across the entire technology value chain.
The demonstration plant is expected to produce 2,500 tons of eFuels per year—mainly eSAF, starting in late 2027.
With 130-million euros (USD$152 million) of funding secured from the German Federal Ministry for Transport, the plant will be the largest demonstration and research facility globally for the production of eFuels, according to the companies.
The design of the plant allows various processes and technologies to be analyzed.
This announcement follows Topsoe and Sasol’s selection late last year to deliver their integrated G2L™ eFuels technology for the SAF demonstration plant, integrating Topsoe’s innovative eREACT™ technology and hydroprocessing technologies with Sasol’s LTFT™ (low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch) technology.
Griesemann Gruppe is working alongside Topsoe and Sasol as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
eREACT™ is a novel technology for production of low-carbon hydrogen and fuels.
The heart of the technology is an innovative electrified reactor design, which can convert a variety of feedstocks into low-carbon hydrogen or other chemicals and fuels.
The G2L™ eFuels process is an end-to-end single-point licensing solution enabling the conversion of renewable feedstocks like captured CO2 and hydrogen to eFuels.
It combines and integrates technologies from Topsoe and Sasol to optimize hydrogen utilization, minimize carbon footprint, maximize yields and provide a reliable solution.
The process is fully wrapped by Sasol and Topsoe as a single-point license.
Read more about eREACT™ here.
Read more about G2L™ here.
Listen to Topsoe’s Fuel for Thought podcast episode with Patrick Le Clercq of DLR discuss the link between chemistry of jet fuel and the climate impact of aviation.
