Synkero seeks to develop 50,000 ton SAF plant in Port of Amsterdam

Photo: Schiphol Airport

Project development start-up Synkero recently unveiled its ambition to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in the Port of Amsterdam using green hydrogen, produced from water and renewable electricity, and CO2. Synkero plans to produce 50,000 tons a year of SAF at the port, which has an existing kerosene pipeline to Schiphol Airport. Construction is targeted for completion by 2027.

“Worldwide people, business and countries are connected through aviation,” said Dick Benschop, CEO of Royal Schiphol Group. “To pass on that pleasure to future generations, we need to get rid of the carbon. Our goal is a net-zero aviation sector in 2050. To achieve that, the development of sustainable aviation fuels is essential. With Synkero, we are taking the next step.”

Synkero partners include the Port of Amsterdam, Royal Schiphol Group, SkyNRG and KLM.

“To keep the world habitable, it is paramount that aviation also becomes sustainable,” said Joost Brinkman, managing director of Synkero. “However, it is also one of the most challenging sectors to make emission-free. Cooperation, technical innovation, and European policy are all crucial for this. Therefore, we are delighted to have founded Synkero and, in close cooperation with our various partners, to take the next steps towards building a factory for the production of sustainable aviation fuel.”

Koen Overtoom, Port of Amsterdam CEO, said, “A factory in our port that produces SAF in a circular way fits seamlessly with our new four-year strategy to be a leader in the energy transition.”

Jurrian de Jonge with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines noted the challenges ahead in the field of synthetic kerosene, including technology, availability of renewable electricity and obtaining CO2 from the air. “This is why we have been working for some time with Synkero to help with research, and accelerating developments,” de Jonge said.