Project spotlight
Germany’s most advanced large-scale eSAF project
Concrete Chemicals: Scaling eSAF in Europe
With several global projects under active development across the EU, the Nordics and the UK, Zaffra is building the facilities needed to meet the growing demand for eSAF in key markets. The Concrete Chemicals site in Brandenburg, Germany, demonstrates how our market-leading technologies and proven project and asset development expertise are helping to take synthetic aviation fuels (eSAF) from pipe dream to operational reality.
The new site, which is being developed in close collaboration with German renewable energy producer Enertrag, is set to meet 40% of Germany’s future eSAF requirements in 2030. Under the ReFuelEU aviation regulation, the share of synthetic aviation fuels in all EU airports must reach 1.2% by 2030, and 35% by 2050. This highlights the importance of the site’s role in the scale-up of eSAF production across Europe. Its potential lies in the unique combination of technology platforms and implementation know-how that both Zaffra and Enertrag bring to the table.
Delivering foundational Power-to-Liquid infrastructure
Concrete Chemicals will be Germany’s most advanced large-scale Power-to-Liquid (PtL) project, located conveniently close to Berlin Airport. Powered by abundant renewable energy sources, including solar and wind energy, the site converts biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen into ASTM-certified eSAF. This delivers a drop-in solution that can be directly blended with fossil kerosene for use with existing fuel systems.
Our cutting-edge G2L™ eFuels technology uses Topsoe’s eREACT™-based electrified reverse water-gas shift (eRWGS) process, together with Sasol’s LTFT™ (low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis technology. This will enable the facility to achieve a carbon efficiency of above 95% and deliver market-leading SAF yields. The fuels produced enable lifecycle emission reductions of 80-85% versus traditional kerosene.
Sustainable innovation, powered by collaboration
The project also illustrates the benefits of a truly collaborative partnership model. For example, German federal and state funding is expected to account for a significant proportion of the total project capital, and state-supported infrastructure also plays a key role. Upon completion, the site will be fully integrated into Germany’s ‘hydrogen core network’ (Wasserstoff-Kernnetz), a planned pipeline that will provide simplified access to this key raw material in eSAF production.
The close collaboration with Enertrag was also essential to the project’s success, enabling a ‘best of both worlds’ situation in which the expertise and experience of the two companies (Zaffra in Power-to-Liquid processing and Enertrag in developing renewable energy assets and renewable hydrogen production) complement each other perfectly. In short, Concrete Chemicals is on track to become an essential foundation stone as Europe seeks to significantly build eSAF capacity and decarbonise the aviation industry.
