Ineratec expands cooperation with Ramboll to further develop eSAF in Europe
Ineratec announced in mid-September an expansion of its cooperation with Ramboll to further develop industrial eSAF production in Europe.
The focus of the cooperation is the expansion of the Era One power-to-liquid (PtL) plant in Frankfurt-Höchst, Germany, with an upgrading unit that will convert synthetic raw products into standard-compliant fuels for aviation directly on site.
The aim is to further advance the technological integration of the value chain and enable the production of electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) on an industrial scale.
The collaboration follows the pre-frontend engineering design (pre-FEED) phase, which has already been completed, and both companies are currently working on the FEED phase for the expansion of Era One.
The project addresses the upgrading of Fischer-Tropsch crude, a synthetic-hydrocarbon mixture produced in the plant, into certified eFuels, in particular eSAF.
To this end, the process steps of isomerization, hydrocracking and distillation will be integrated into the existing production infrastructure.
With the implementation of the upgrading units, Ineratec said it is expanding its own technological vertical integration.
In the future, the conversion of captured CO2 and green hydrogen to usable synthetic aviation fuel will take place within an integrated production platform.
This reduces dependence on external refinery infrastructure and creates conditions for scalable, decentralized fuel production, the company stated.
“With the further development of our upgrading technology, we are taking the next important step on the way to the industrial production of drop-in-capable eSAF,” said Tim Böltken, co-founder and CEO of Ineratec. “The expansion of Era One enables us to take technological control over further process steps in the PtL value chain and to offer our customers a reliable supply of synthetic fuels in the long term.”
Ramboll brings its international experience in the planning and implementation of complex energy and industrial projects as well as extensive expertise in the field of Power-to-X and sustainable fuels to the project.
The partnership combines Ineratec’s modular PtL approach with engineering and project management expertise at an industrial level.
“The decarbonization of aviation requires high-performance and scalable solutions for the production of sustainable aviation fuels,” said Anders Nimgaard Schultz, the director of Power-to-X and gas infrastructure with Ramboll. “We are pleased to support Ineratec in the further development of Era One and to jointly create the conditions for the industrial deployment of eSAF.”
The project is supported by Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and the European Investment Bank.
Both partners promote the commercialization of innovative climate technologies and help accelerate the market introduction of sustainable energy and fuel solutions.
Era One is considered a blueprint for future industrial PtL plants from Ineratec.
