SAF production in Europe given boost by new SWISS agreement

SWISS and Metafuels SAF technology have signed an agreement to jointly promote the development and scaling-up of viable sustainable aviation fuel solutions.

The collaboration should help SWISS secure long-term access to synthetic fuels and make further progress towards lower-emissions aviation, while also investing in Switzerland as an innovation hub.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) notes that it has been actively involved in the development of SAF for some years now, and the airline and the Lufthansa Group are now taking a further step on this path by teaming up with Metafuels, a Swiss-based company that is developing SAF technologies.

The new partnership is intended to drive and promote the further development and the bringing to market of viable SAF solutions.

© Photo credit Andrew Baker.

SWISS and the Lufthansa Group are also considering committing long-term to SAF procurement contracts, not least in view of the new synthetic fuel additive quotas that are scheduled to be adopted in Switzerland and throughout the European Union from 2030 onwards.

Metafuels has developed a procedure that efficiently converts green methanol into sustainable aviation fuel. The new technology offers flexibility in the raw materials used – biomethanol or e-methanol – and is basically well scalable, too. The SAF produced can also be used in existing infrastructures and aircraft fleets.

Future availability of sustainable fuels at sufficient scale will only be possible if investments in technologies and partnerships are made today.

“That is exactly what we are doing with Metafuels,” says Jens Fehlinger, CEO of SWISS. “We do not want to wait on the sidelines, but actively contribute to making synthetic fuels market-ready and scalable.

“This partnership helps secure long-term access to these solutions. The fact that we are taking this step together with a Swiss company sends a strong signal for us. As an airline, we are doing everything within our power to actively drive the transformation of aviation forward.

“At the same time, it is clear that achieving our goals will now require industrial-scale production. Sustainable fuels must become available much faster, at affordable prices and in significantly larger quantities in the future.”