Technip Energies invests in Verso Energy’s DEZiR eSAF project in Rouen, France

Technip Energies announced March 18 that it has signed an agreement with Verso Energy to acquire a minority equity stake in the DEZiR project, a synthetic aviation fuel (eSAF) plant located in Rouen, France.

This investment demonstrates Technip Energies’ support for this major industrial initiative, which has been selected under the France 2030 program and the European Innovation Fund.

Technip Energies will contribute to the DEZiR project through the implementation of its carbon-capture solution, Canopy by T.EN™ powered by Shell CANSOLV, to capture biogenic CO2 from nearby industries and enable the utilization of this CO2 for eSAF production.

In addition, Rely—Technip Energies’ joint venture with John Cockerill dedicated to Power-to-X solutions—is carrying out the project’s front-end engineering design (FEED).

Technip Energies said Verso Energy and Rely share a common ambition for standardization and replicability, with the objective of making DEZiR a benchmark for the future deployment of eSAF plants in France and abroad.

In November, Verso Energy and Rely signed the first FEED contract for the Rouen eSAF plant.

Once operational by around 2030, the facility is expected to produce 80,000 tons per year of decarbonized aviation fuel, helping strengthen France’s energy sovereignty while supporting French and European climate objectives.

Furthermore, in a dedicated collaboration agreement with Rely, Verso Energy contributes its entire eSAF development portfolio, comprising seven synthetic aviation fuel plants based in Rouen, Épinal, Saillat-sur-Vienne and Tartas in France, Oulu and Tornio in Finland, and in Jesup, Georgia (U.S.).

Technip Energies said this will leverage the replicability of the first plant to the maximum extent, reducing costs and accelerating the time to market for the eSAF.

“We are pleased to engage alongside Verso Energy in the DEZiR project,” said Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies. “Through this investment, Technip Energies aims to support the development of a European eFuels value chain to decarbonize aviation. With FEED underway, DEZiR is one of the most advanced eSAF projects in Europe. It also illustrates our approach to designing standardized and replicable projects to improve affordability and accelerate deployment.”

Xavier Caitucoli, the president and co-founder of Verso Energy, added, “We are very proud that Technip Energies has acquired a stake in DEZiR. This is a positive signal from one of the world’s leaders in major industrial projects. Their commitment demonstrates that the project meets the highest technical and financial standards and confirms Verso’s ability to develop and deliver state-of-the-art infrastructure, including France’s first eSAF plant by 2030.”