Cooperation agreement for e-fuels demonstration plant

GERMANY

Cooperation agreement for e-fuels demonstration plant

Sasol and Topsoe have signed a cooperation agreement with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and EPC contractor Griesemann for the construction, operation and research and development activities of DLR’s sustainable aviation fuels demonstration plant at the Leuna Chemical Complex, Germany. The demonstration plant is currently under construction and is expected to produce 2500 t/a of e-fuels, starting in Q4 2027. The e-fuels produced will mainly comprise kerosene, using renewable feedstocks such as biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen. With €130 million of funding secured from the German Federal Ministry for Transport, the plant will be the largest demonstration and research facility globally for the production of e-fuels.

Elena Scaltritti, CCO at Topsoe, said: “Demonstration facilities, like the TPP, are essential for proving the capabilities of new technologies and highlighting the viability of innovative products like e-fuels. We are excited to join forces with DLR, Sasol and Griesemann to develop this demonstration plant as well as the technologies that will support the rollout of power-to-liquid fuels at scale.”

Björn Griesemann, CEO at Griesemann Group, added: “Power-to-liquid fuels are the basis for future industrial production and the extensive use of sustainable fuels, particularly in aviation. Our engineering enables the technologies developed by Topsoe and Sasol, as well as the research conducted by DLR, to be transferred into feasible, scalable concepts – thus closing the gap between research and practice. Our long-time experience in the implementation of modular projects and renewable energies flows directly into the development of the TPP.”

The TPP facility began construction on October 1, 2024, and is expected to be the world’s largest research e-fuels production facility and the first in which electricity-based fuels can be demonstrated and tested across the entire technology value chain. The design of the plant allows various processes and technologies to be analysed. The announcement follows Topsoe and Sasol’s selection late last year to deliver their integrated G2L™ e-fuels technology for the SAF demonstration plant, integrating Topsoe’s innovative eREACT™ technology and hydroprocessing technologies with Sasol’s LTFT™ (low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch) technology. Griesemann Gruppe is working alongside Topsoe and Sasol as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.