Amadeus invests in sustainable aviation fuel innovator

Amadeus has acquired a minority stake in Caphenia — a future producer of synthesis gas, the feedstock of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — forming part of the technology firm’s commitment to supporting the industry on its journey toward sustainable travel.

In just 12 months, this represents Amadeus’ second investment in a company focused on making the future of travel more sustainable.

Around this time last year, Amadeus announced its investment in CHOOOSE, which provides climate action solutions, that is now followed by Caphenia.   

The Germany-based company is currently developing a method to produce synthetic gas from a mixture of biogas, CO2, water, and electricity. This can be used to produce a variety of synthetic fuels, with up to a 92% – reduction of CO2 emissions compared to the fossil reference value.

The process has been proved in laboratory conditions, with the company looking to scale up production in the near future. 

To reach the 65% reduction in GHG emissions, a production capacity of 449 billion liters annually is estimated as needed globally — Caphenia itself is forecasting it will produce more than one billion liters before 2035. 

The company has secured patent protection for its Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid (PBtL) process in all relevant core markets worldwide, with a total of 203 granted patents.

Suzanna Chiu, head of ventures at Amadeus, said: “We are committed to supporting the move to sustainable travel.

“We monitor industry trends and developments to determine the most effective ways we can fulfil this ambition and are delighted to act today with the investment in an innovative SAF company.

“The transaction represents a step forward in our sustainability strategy, taking the perspective from a different part of the value chain in the industry.

“As the industry moves toward its goal of reaching net zero by 2050, we are taking concrete steps to accelerate the process.”