Boeing partners with Norsk e-Fuel to advance SAF production
Boeing investment will support development of one of Europe’s first industrial-scale power-to-liquids facility.
From left: Karl Hauptmeier, CEO, Norsk e-Fuel; Maria Laine, President, United Kingdom, Ireland and Nordics, Boeing and Lars Bjørn Larsen, CCO, Norsk e-Fuel.
Boeing has become a key project development partner of Norsk e-Fuel, supporting one of Europe’s first industrial scale power-to-liquids (PtL) facilities.
Boeing’s investment will accelerate the production and availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Nordics and globally, says an official release from Boeing. "It is also intended to support the commercial aviation industry and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member states’ common goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050."
Norsk e-Fuel will produce jet fuel known as electro-SAF or e-SAF. This involves the PtL process: using fossil-free power to generate green hydrogen and combining it with recycled CO₂ from biogenic sources. The fuel can reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of air travel by over 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel, the release added.
"Our support of and collaboration with Norsk e-Fuel underscores the importance of using fossil-free energy to accelerate SAF production, which is key to reducing aviation’s carbon emissions towards 2050," says Steve Gillard, Regional Sustainability Director for Europe, Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Central Asia, Boeing. "Our partnership to advance e-fuels will help mobilise the commercialisation of SAF in the Nordics and across the world, increasing accessibility and availability for our customers as we help build a robust SAF ecosystem."
Lars Bjørn Larsen, CCO, Norsk e-Fuel adds: "Our goal is to make e-fuels competitive with and eventually replace fossil fuels in critical infrastructures as SAF needs to become readily accessible and affordable for advancing aviation’s decarbonisation. Boeing’s investment will further accelerate our project pipeline and will facilitate the broader aviation industry’s transition to net-zero emissions."
The partnership combines Boeing’s SAF industry leadership and fuels expertise with Norsk e-Fuel’s technology know-how and strong network of partners including Norway’s largest air carrier, Norwegian.
"We are pleased to welcome Boeing on board," says Geir Karlsen, CEO, Norwegian. "Their investment marks a significant milestone for Norsk e-Fuel and confirms the positive development we have had. We look forward to leveraging Boeing’s expertise and experience in the development and growth of this pioneering industry. This investment also reinforces the need for a supportive policy environment to fully realise the potential of e-fuels production in Norway."
Norsk e-Fuel was founded in 2019 to drive the transition to renewable aviation by establishing the industrial production of sustainable fuels based on CO2 and water, the release added.
