Metafuels awards McDermott FEED contract for Turbe eSAF facility in Rotterdam
- Metafuels
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Swiss aviation-technology company Metafuels announced Dec. 15 that it has awarded a contract to McDermott for the front-end engineering design (FEED) of its Turbe project, a first-of-a-kind synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) production facility to be built at the Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The Turbe plant will be the first commercial deployment of Metafuels’ proprietary methanol-to-jet technology, Aerobrew, designed to produce drop-in eSAF compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure.
According to Metafuels, the facility will play a critical role in advancing scalable, cost-efficient aviation decarbonization across Europe.
The FEED represents the final engineering stage prior to a final-investment decision (FID).
Under the contract, McDermott will perform basic engineering and design services to define and optimize the technical specification of the plant as well as cost-estimating services.
“Selecting McDermott for this crucial engineering phase marks a defining moment in our journey towards scalable eSAF production,” said Metafuels CEO Saurabh Kapoor. “With implementation of our demonstration plant at the Paul Scherrer Institute and Turbe advancing towards FID, we are steadily industrializing our Aerobrew technology. Europe has set ambitious decarbonization targets—and with project partners like McDermott and Evos, we are building the capacity needed to make those targets achievable.”
Rob Shaul, McDermott’s senior vice president of low-carbon solutions, added, “The Turbe plant is a bold step toward decarbonizing aviation through commercial deployment of Metafuels’ aerobrew advanced SAF technology. Our unrivaled front-end development capabilities, deep technical expertise and proven delivery of full-cycle SAF solutions ensures flexibility while prioritizing implementation to bring the concept to fruition.”
Metafuels said the agreement marks a major step forward as it progresses from technology demonstration to industrial-scale deployment—a key milestone in the company’s industrialization journey.
Metafuels said it has achieved several important milestones in 2025:
The Turbe eSAF plant in Rotterdam entered its FEED phase, advancing towards FID.
Metafuels’ 50-liter-per-day methanol-to-jet demonstration plant has been installed at the PSI in Switzerland.
The company continues to expand its European footprint, following the opening of its Dutch subsidiary company Metafuels Nederland B.V.
“The commencement of FEED for the Rotterdam facility is a critical technical milestone and a significant upfront investment decision, de-risking the project and moving it decisively towards FID,” Metafuels stated. “These steps help ensure that Europe’s eSAF targets are met with reliable, cost-effective supply that is already is in place.”
Metafuels focuses on the production of synthetic SAF made via the eMethanol route, which uses renewable electricity as the primary energy source (eSAF).
Metafuels said its differentiator is cost leadership, achieved through the ability to convert eMethanol into eSAF with a significantly higher yield, ensuring a more efficient and cost-effective process.
Metafuels’ signature eSAF, Aerobrew, can replace conventional kerosene regardless of the size, type of aircraft, and short-haul or long-haul flights.
Integration of Metafuels’ Aerobrew process into the overall wire-to-wing eSAF value chain leads to up to 90 percent lower lifecycle-carbon emissions compared to conventional kerosene, according to the company.
“The Turbe facility will serve as a blueprint for future large-scale eSAF production aligned with EU and global mandates, including ReFuelEU aviation and CORSIA, which call for a rapid increase in SAF blending from 2030 onward,” Metafuels stated.
With its technology now moving into deployment, Metafuels said it is positioned as one of Europe’s leading SAF innovators, focused on cost leadership, high carbon efficiency and readiness for large-scale commercial roll-out.
“The company’s ongoing projects in Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands form the backbone of a European eSAF production network designed to scale in line with regulatory mandates and market demand through 2030 and beyond,” Metafuels stated. “With eSAF submandates under ReFuelEU aviation coming into force from 2030, Turbe is being developed explicitly to ensure commercial-scale eSAF is available in time to meet those obligations.”
