Vema Hydrogen, SAF+ International Group partner to produce synthetic SAF for Canada’s aviation industry

Vema Hydrogen announced July 7 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SAF+ International Group, an international developer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from low-carbon hydrogen and captured CO2.

Vema will supply more than 4,000 tons per year of hydrogen beginning in approximately 2028 from its Quebec Engineered Mineral Hydrogen project.

Together, they will demonstrate a new, scalable pathway for producing synthetic SAF using Vema’s EMH, which will be designed for replication across global aviation markets.

According to Vema, its EMH technology harnesses naturally occurring chemical reactions below the Earth’s surface to produce high-purity hydrogen.

The global aviation industry produces over 880 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, which currently represents 2 percent to 2.5 percent of all human-induced emissions, increasing to 25 percent by 2050 if left unchecked, Vema stated.

To address this challenge, airlines have turned to SAF but it is costly and in low supply, leaving carriers without the volume needed to meet decarbonization goals.

This partnership, according to Vema, aims to close this gap by introducing a new, cost-effective hydrogen source that can support synthetic SAF production at scale.

SAF+IG is expanding beyond purely electrolytic-hydrogen pathways towards EMH, a more cost-effective, low-carbon hydrogen solution, Vema said.

By co-locating SAF+IG’s production plant at Vema’s hydrogen facility, the project removes transportation costs and reduces supply-chain risk, two of the most significant challenges facing today’s energy market.

EMH will be delivered directly into SAF+IG’s process, supporting synthetic SAF production for regional airlines and future offtakers across Quebec’s emerging SAF market.

To convert that hydrogen into fuel, SAF+IG will use modular reactor technology from KHIMOD, a French climate-tech company, in what would be KHIMOD’s first deployment in North America.

Its compact, modular reactor design is built to hold down production costs without sacrificing efficiency, according to Vema.

“KHIMOD’s technology enables high selectivity towards the kerosene cut with strong control over reaction conditions,” said Nicolas Serrie, CEO of KHIMOD. “Its compact and modular approach is particularly suited to emerging SAF projects where flexibility, integration and scalability are key.”

Pierre Gonthier, the president and CEO of SAF+IG, added, “SAF is one of the most promising and viable paths to decarbonize the aviation industry. Our partnership with Vema Hydrogen is strengthening our ability to produce drop-in synthetic SAF that offers a 90 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to conventional jet fuel.”

Pierre Levin, the CEO and co-founder of Vema Hydrogen, said, “Aviation needs new answers, not incremental ones. EMH gives SAF+ International Group a reliable, affordable hydrogen supply that can finally unlock synthetic SAF at a meaningful scale. Quebec has all the ingredients to lead this transition, and this project is the first proof point of what an integrated EMH-to-SAF model can deliver.”