Karin Genemo, Division Manager for Industry at COWI. Photo: Marléne Bagleborn / COWI

COWI and Swedish Biofuels to build factories for sustainable aviation fuel production

06.05.2022

Swedish Biofuels and COWI have partnered up to supply the Swedish market with 400,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Swedish Biofuels bases its technology on the 'alcohol-to-jet' (ATJ) method, which paves the way for complete elimination of fossil aviation fuel. The first production facility will be built close to Arlanda Airport, and the first SAF delivery is scheduled for 2025.

"Immense efforts are made to develop production facilities for green aviation fuel via Power-to-X, and we will need more technology tracks to realise a complete transition of the aviation industry. This project is one-of-a-kind, and what's great about Swedish Biofuels' technology is that the product has already been approved for use in existing airplane engines," says Karin Genemo, Senior Vice President of COWI's Swedish Industry unit.

As part of the partnership, COWI and Arkitema will contribute planning, architectural design and client consultancy as well as design during the construction phase.

Via the so-called ATJ process, the technology invented by Swedish Biofuels uses sustainable biomass to produce green fuels that can replace fossil aviation fuel on a one-to-one basis.

"Our technology allows for a world-first commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel that does not require any admixture. We're confident this will disrupt the aviation industry since the technology will mean the end to fossil fuels. Using sustainable aviation fuel is not just a step towards a greener world; it also cuts our dependency on foreign oil, thereby making us more self-reliant," says Angelica Hull, CEO of Swedish Biofuels.

Backed by the European Commission, the first factory will be built in Brista, close to Arlanda Airport. The first supply of sustainable aviation fuel is scheduled for 2025. Production uses sustainable green ethanol as a feedstock, and also allows for using green residual gases and hydrogen in the process. The facility will also produce sustainable diesel and petrol.

In addition to the Brista factory, the plan is to build two more production facilities in Sweden, amounting to an annual combined production capacity of 400,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel. That corresponds to around 40 per cent of Arlanda's annual aviation fuel consumption.