NOW GmbH and CENA Hessen present interactive data visualisation for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
NOW GmbH and the CENA, the Centre of Competence for Climate, Environment and Noise Protection in Aviation, today jointly presented their SAF Monitor at the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA – Internationale Luftfahrtausstellung) in Berlin. The abbreviation SAF stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuels and describes all sustainable aviation fuels. The Monitor is an interactive, English-language data visualisation that presents all announced or ongoing projects in the field of SAF production worldwide. The projects presented can be filtered according to various categories, such as fuel type, production process, production volume or project status. This means that for the first time, industry players can gain an overview of all the projects announced worldwide for the production of sustainable aviation fuels during the next few years.
The monitor was funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV – Bundesministerium für Digital and Transport) and the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas (Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Verkehr, Wohnen und ländlicher Raum). The database on which the Monitor is based was created by CENA Hessen within the framework of the SAF working group, which is part of the Federal Government’s Climate-Friendly Aviation Working Group. Moving forward, NOW GmbH and CENA Hessen will regularly update and further develop the Monitor.
Korinna Jörling, Head of Hydrogen, Alternative Fuels and Fuel Cells, NOW GmbH: “With the SAF Monitor, we are creating a centralised database that enables all stakeholders to obtain comprehensive information on the development of SAF production. This transparency is crucial for making knowledge-based decisions and accelerating the transition to sustainable renewable fuels – especially in light of the ambitious incorporation quotas set by the European Union in the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation.”
Fuel type, production process, production site: What insights does the Monitor provide in the individual categories?
In the fuel type category, bio aviation fuel dominates among the announced projects. However, its percentage share of the market is expected to decrease by 2030 (from just under 98 per cent down to 81 per cent), while the market share of synthetic sustainable aviation fuels will increase by the year 2030 (from just under 2 per cent to over 15 per cent). The Monitor indicates that the dominant production process in 2030 will be the HEFA process (just under 70 per cent), in which biofuels are produced on the basis of esters and fatty acids (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, HEFA). At 26 million tonnes of SAF, around 77 percent of the announced production capacities are expected to be produced in Europe and North America by 2030. Most SAF projects with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis have been announced in Germany (22), the USA (13) and the Netherlands (7).
Overall, the SAF Monitor shows that a global increase in production capacities for both biogenic and synthetic aviation fuels is to be anticipated over the next few years. However, the production volumes announced for 2030 differ primarily in terms of their project status: While 23 per cent come from projects that are already in operation today, 10 per cent come from projects that are still under development and 63 per cent from projects that are still in the planning stage. 3 per cent are based on project ideas.
The SAF Monitor is available free of charge here.
About NOW GmbH
Since 2008, NOW GmbH has been supporting the federal government’s targets in its climate and industrial policy. The tasks of the federally-owned company include developing, monitoring and evaluating funding programmes about climate-neutral mobility and energy supply. NOW GmbH experts supervise projects in the areas of hydrogen, fuel cells, battery and renewable fuels. They reimagine mobility and fuels for cars, buses, trains, commercial vehicles, ships and airplanes, and support the establishment and further development of charging infrastructure and hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and trucks. More information on NOW can be found here.
About CENA Hessen and Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH
The Centre of Excellence for Climate and Noise Protection in Aviation – CENA Hessen – supported by the state-owned business development agency HTAI, is a driving force for sustainable innovations in aviation. CENA conducts research, builds networks between interested parties and helps to realise innovative projects. It works on topics such as CO2-neutral flying, alternative fuels and technologies for noise and environmental protection in aviation. More information on CENA Hessen can be found at www.cena-hessen.de.
Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) is the economic development organisation of the State of Hesse. Its central task is to secure and increase the competitiveness of Hesse as a centre of business and technology. HTAI offers a unique strategic combination of location marketing, foreign trade, investor support, technology and innovation promotion and advice on EU funding programmes. It is the central point of contact for companies as well as for scientific, political and social institutions. More information on the HTAI can be found at www.htai.de and www.hessisch.de.
Image: From left to right: Korinna Jörling (Head of Hydrogen, Alternative Fuels and Fuel Cells, NOW GmbH), Bernhard Dietrich (Head of the Centre of Excellence for Climate and Noise Protection in Aviation – CENA Hessen)