SAS and partners are evaluating the production of synthetic SAF in Sweden
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), in collaboration with Shell, Vattenfall and LanzaTech, is exploring the production of synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), also called electric fuel, with LanzaJet ‘Alcohol to Jet’ technology in Sweden.
The technology was developed by LanzaTech and the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
As part of this project, the partners will investigate the production of synthetic SAF using fossil-free electricity and recycled carbon dioxide (CO₂) from large-scale district heating.
LanzaTech’s CEO Jennifer Holmgren said: “The aviation sector is facing incredible challenges in obtaining the volumes of SAF needed for sustainable aviation.
“This project is the beginning of delivering on these volumes and by reusing carbon dioxide and fossil-free power, we have an opportunity on an unmatched scale.”
For this project, Vattenfall will be responsible for investigating clean electricity, hydrogen production and CO₂ extraction, while Shell will focus on fuel production, logistics and will purchase the electric fuel.
LanzaTech has agreed to contribute by producing ethanol from incoming gas streams, where the parties license the technology to convert ethanol into electric fuel.
SAS will be included in the project as a potential buyer of electric fuel.
The companies intend to establish a production facility in Forsmark on Sweden’s east coast in 2026-2027, with a capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes of electric fuel on an annual basis.
When fully operational, the new facility will have the capacity to meet 25% of SAS’s sustainable demand for aviation fuel during the 2030s.
SAS’s President and CEO Anko van der Werff said: “SAS and sustainability go hand in hand. That is why we are incredibly proud to be part of this unique project where ambitious sustainability goals and agendas meet.
“Our joint commitment to find ways to enable large-scale production of a more sustainable aviation fuel is a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the commercialization of SAF, and thus SAS’s transition to industry-leading zero-emission aviation.”