Planned large-scale e-SAF plant in Schwedt

Concrete Chemicals has been granted €350 million in funding for this project by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and the State of Brandenburg. Final approval by the European Commission is still pending. The funding measure is part of the Guidelines on Climate, Energy and Environmental Aid (CEEAG) and aims to accelerate the development of a competitive hydrogen economy in Europe while strengthening the EU's energy sovereignty.

A core element of the project is the use of biogenic CO2, which will come from LEIPA's paper production in Schwedt, among other sources. The CO2 supply from LEIPA will enable the production of around 30,000 tons of e-SAF and 7,000 tons of e-naphtha per year using the power-to-liquid (PtL) process, thereby avoiding at least 100,000 tons of fossil CO2 emissions in aviation.

"For LEIPA, the planned cooperation represents a logical step toward further decarbonization of industrial processes. As a leading manufacturer of paper and cardboard products based on recycled paper, we use biogenic raw materials and have many years of experience in industrial environmental management. By providing our CO2, we are contributing to the development of a sustainable hydrogen and e-fuel economy in Germany – and strengthening Schwedt's position as a hub for sustainable industrial production," explains Antonio Bellante, CEO of LEIPA Group GmbH.

The planned project is aligned with the national hydrogen strategy and is to be connected to the hydrogen core network in the long term. It supports the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, which stipulates an e-SAF blending quota of 1.2% from 2030, as well as the EU's climate targets: 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.