Europe’s largest e-fuel production plant enters operation in Frankfurt

German cleantech innovator INERATEC has officially launched ERA ONE, Europe’s largest power-to-liquid (PtL) plant, capable of producing 2,500 tonnes of carbon-neutral e-fuels and e-chemicals annually. Located in Frankfurt-Höchst, the facility produces synthetic crude oil from green hydrogen and biogenic CO₂ – both sourced locally within the industrial park – which is then refined into sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF), e-diesel, and base chemicals.

INERATEC says the plant will deliver commercial-scale volumes of e-fuels in Europe for the first time.

The ERA ONE plant showcases a modular design that facilitates rapid expansion. In fact, the company aims to multiply its production capacity several times by 2030. Regulatory demands are a key driver; the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation mandates a 35% blend of e-fuels by 2050.

The e-fuels produced are said to require no modifications to aircraft engines or existing infrastructure. Beyond aviation, synthetic crude oil from the plant can be used to manufacture base chemicals for plastics.

FEED contract awarded for world’s first electrified biogas-to-SAF plant 

Meanwhile, Syzygy Plasmonics has awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the world’s first electrified biogas-to-SAF facility, to Kent, an international integrated energy services solutions company. Located in Durazno, Uruguay, the NovaSAF 1 plant will produce over 350,000 gallons of ASTM certified SAF annually.  

Syzygy’s NovaSAF platform integrates biogas reforming with PtL technologies, eliminating the need for pipelines or gas separation, and cutting both water usage and carbon intensity. The project is backed by long-term site and feedstock agreements with Estancias del Lago, one of Uruguay’s largest dairy and agri-energy operations.

‘This is more than just a SAF plant – it’s a new model for biogas economics,’ says Syzygy CEO Trevor Best. ‘We’re unlocking a global asset class of underutilised biogas sites and turning them into high-value clean fuel hubs without costly infrastructure or subsidy dependence.’

The NovaSAF pathway is claimed to yield over 50% more SAF compared to conventional thermal biogas reforming while producing fuel with 80% less carbon intensity than Jet-A fuel. It also meets international SAF standards including US regulations and those under CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation), the EU’s RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) classification.

Syzygy says the platform’s ability to deliver SAF at Jet-A parity prices makes it more competitive than hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) or traditional PtL routes.  

EDL COO Jose Pedro Sanchez, comments: ‘By combining agricultural waste with Uruguay’s nearly 100% renewable grid, we’re making low-cost and abundant SAF a reality.’

FedEx rolls out first major SAF deployment in US  

In other news, FedEx has taken a step to decarbonise its aviation operations with the procurement of 8,800 tonnes of blended Neste MY SAF at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This marks the largest SAF purchase by a US cargo airline to date and will account for around 20% of FedEx’s annual jet fuel consumption at the airport.

The year-long delivery programme, which began in May 2025, is part of the company’s broader strategy to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. The fuel blend includes a minimum of 30% neat SAF – made entirely from renewable waste and residue materials such as used cooking oil and animal fats.

‘Our aviation network represents the largest amount of FedEx fuel use globally and, as a result, is our biggest opportunity to drive down emissions,’ says Karen Blanks Ellis, FedEx Chief Sustainability Officer. ‘We need the SAF market to continue to grow to meet industry demand.’

Neste, a global SAF producer with a current annual capacity of 1.5mn tonnes, says its fuel (when used in neat form) can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. The SAF can be blended up to 50% with fossil jet fuel and used directly in existing aircraft and fuelling infrastructure without modifications.

US SAF production takes off as new capacity comes online

Meanwhile, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported an increase in SAF production, driven by a wave of new capacity coming online. Between December 2024 and February 2025, output in its ‘other biofuels’ analysis category – which includes SAF – more than doubled, with January reaching a record 33,000 barrels per day (b/d), and February rising further to 44,000 b/d.

The SAF boom follows major investments and policy support under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), along with federal and state-level tax credits. Key project completions include:

• Phillips 66’s Rodeo plant in California: 10,000 b/d SAF capacity (3Q2024)
• Diamond Green Diesel’s facility in Port Arthur, Texas: 15,000 b/d (4Q2024)
• New Rise Renewables’s project in Reno, Nevada: 3,000 b/d (Feb 2025)
• Par Pacific’s plant in Kapolei, Hawaii: 2,000 b/d (starting 2H2025)

Prior to 2025, the US had only two SAF-producing facilities – World Energy’s plant in Paramount, California, and Montana Renewables’ facility in Great Falls, Montana – with a combined capacity of just 2,000.  

Now, the US produces some 30,000 b/d of SAF. The EIA projects that ‘other biofuels’ production, largely driven by SAF, will more than double in 2025 compared to the previous year and increase by a further 20% in 2026.  

Despite strong growth in SAF on a percentage basis, absolute volumes will remain relatively low, making up less than 2% of 1.7mn b/d of US jet fuel consumption in 2025 and about 2% in 2026 – a reminder of the immense scaling required to reach climate targets.