Boeing has invested in a project to build an industrial-scale eSAF production plant in Norway.
The Power-to-Liquid (PtL) plant will use fossil-free power to generate green hydrogen and combine it with recycled CO₂ to produce eSAF.
The project with Norsk e-Fuel and airline Norwegian was first announced in 2023 and aims to build the world’s first industrial-scale eSAF plant in Mosjøen, Norway.
Most SAF available today is made from food waste and used cooking oils with processes that can be powered by fossil fuels. An eSAF is produced using only renewable energy – a PtL plant uses renewable energy to break water into hydrogen and oxygen and then combines then hydrogen with CO₂ captured from the air or other sources.
Steve Gillard, Boeing’s regional sustainability director for Europe, Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Central Asia said, “Our partnership to advance e-fuels will help mobilize the commercialization of SAF in the Nordics and worldwide, increasing accessibility and availability for our customers as we help build a robust SAF ecosystem.”
According to the airline trade association IATA, SAF accounted for only 0.53% of the global commercial fuel use in 2024. The European RefuelEU SAF initiative aims to increase this to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. There are also sub-mandates for e-SAF in Europe, such as that produced by Norsk e-Fuel, with targets of 1.2% in 2030 increasing to 35% in 2050.
Lars Bjørn Larsen, chief commercial officer of Norsk e-Fuel said, “Our goal is to make e-fuels competitive with and eventually replace fossil fuels.”
The partnership will combine Boeing’s experience of SAF with Norsk e-Fuel’s technology. Norway’s largest air carrier, Norwegian is also a partner in the project.
“We look forward to leveraging Boeing’s expertise and experience in the development and growth of this pioneering industry,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
From left to right: Karl Hauptmeier, CEO, Norsk e-Fuel; Maria Laine, President of Boeing in the UK, Ireland and Nordics; Lars Bjørn Larsen, CCO, Norsk e-Fuel (Image: Boeing)
