Synhelion says they have hired the engineering firm Saipem to carry out preliminary engineering work for a commercial-scale synthetic fuel plant at an RWE industrial site in Hürth-Knapsack, Germany.
The plant is expected to produce 30,000 tons annually of renewable synthetic fuels, mainly for aviation, along with synthetic diesel and gasoline for shipping and road transport.
Saipem’s work will focus on refining the plant’s technical design — integrating Synhelion’s proprietary solar fuel technology with the downstream fuel production processes and defining the supporting infrastructure needed to operate the facility. This preliminary engineering phase is meant to firm up the technical and economic case for the project before a final investment decision.
The site is within RWE’s Knapsack industrial area, which lets the project tap into existing pipelines and utilities, and draws on RWE’s support with site development and permitting. The site is being repurposed for new energy use.
“Scaling our technology is key to making renewable fuels commercially competitive,” says Philipp Furler, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion. “Our joint preliminary engineering work is an essential step in that direction.”
The project responds to growing European demand for renewable fuels, driven by the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, which requires airlines to blend in rising shares of sustainable fuel starting in 2025.
It complements Synhelion’s broader pipeline of synthetic fuel projects, including a planned expansion in Jülich.
Source: Synhelion Press Release
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