30. July 2024
The Zurich-based ClimateTech start-up Metafuels and its technology partner PSI have received a grant from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) amounting to 4.4 million Swiss francs for the construction of an e-SAF pilot plant located at the PSI campus in Villigen in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. This serves the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from renewable energies (e-SAF).
In this context, the partners will use their jointly developed aerobrew technology, in which green methanol is converted into e-SAF using CO2 from the atmosphere or other biogenic sources. The plant will be the first of its kind in Switzerland. According to a press release issued by Metafuels, the high degree of innovation and focus on the goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 were important criteria for securing this grant from the SFOE.
Aerobrew e-SAF has the potential to seamlessly replace conventional aviation fuel, regardless of the size or type of aircraft. In contrast to other competitors in this field, Metafuels states that aerobrew technology aims to achieve the lowest production costs through high efficiency and an extremely high e-SAF yield. The technology is also expected to reduce life cycle emissions by up to 90 percent without endangering food and feed supplies either.
In the words of co-founder and CEO Saurabh Kapoor, Metafuels is “proud to secure this grant, not only for the important work it will fund to bring our technology to life - but what it represents, placing us at the heart of an increasingly innovative, start-up oriented Swiss economy”. ce/mm
