Fischer-Tropsch technology company Sasol ecoFT – a subsidiary of energy and chemicals company Sasol – in collaboration with Swedish energy company Uniper, has signed a letter of intent with the Sollefteå municipality, in Sweden, to form the SkyFuelH2 joint venture (JV) to investigate the potential of establishing an industry-scale production facility for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Once built, the innovative industrial plant will contribute to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.
The ambition of the SkyFuelH2 JV is to produce SAF based on green hydrogen and carbon from biomass using Sasol’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology process.
Långsele in Sollefteå is the natural site selection for SkyFuelH2 owing to the municipality’s ambitious growth targets and its supply of renewable electricity, carbon from biomass and suitable land areas.
Sasol president and CEO Fleetwood Grobler says ecoFT will leverage Sasol’s proven Fischer-Tropsch technology and 70 years of experience in running complex, integrated operations to produce and market fuels and chemicals.
“By applying green hydrogen and sustainable carbon sources as feedstock in our proprietary power-to-liquids process, we can now produce sustainable fuels, thereby contributing to a thriving planet, our society and enterprises,” he says.
Sweden Business, Industry and Innovation Minister Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson says SkyFuelH2 is crucial for the evolution of the aviation industry. “The JV is a great example of how new technology can enable the green transition in the north of Sweden.”
Following the letter of intent, work now continues to further evaluate the feasibility to establish SkyFuelH2 in Långsele, Sollefteå.