SWISS Plans Solar Aviation Fuel Use
CH – Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), the flag carrier of Switzerland, and its parent company Lufthansa Group have finalized an agreement with Synhelion for using its solar aviation fuel. With this deal, SWISS is said to become the world’s first carrier to use ‘sun-to-liquid’ fuel or solar kerosene. SWISS plans to use this fuel from 2023. Additionally, the collaboration between SWISS and Synhelion will play a key role in producing and adopting sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx said: “Our team-up with Synhelion is founded on our shared vision to make carbon-neutral flying in regular flight operations possible through the use of solar fuel. We are proud that SWISS will be the first airline in the world to fly with solar kerosene. “In partnering with Synhelion, we are supporting Swiss innovation and are actively pursuing and promoting the development, the market introduction, and the scaling-up of this highly promising technology for producing sustainable fuels.”
Synhelion has developed a process to create sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using concentrated sunlight. Synhelion said that its unique process utilizes solar heat produce syngas that can be synthesized into kerosene with the help of standard industrial processes at a later stage. It further stated that its sun-to-liquid fuel shuts the fuel carbon cycle when combusted, resulting in carbon emission equivalent to CO₂ generated during the manufacturing process.
The company claims this new fuel will significantly drive air transport decarbonization. Later this year, the company plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Jülich, Germany, which is said to be the first in the world to produce solar fuel. SWISS and the Lufthansa Group also agreed to support Synhelion in establishing a commercial fuel production facility in Spain. Since 2020, Synhelion, SWISS, Edelweiss, and the Lufthansa Group have been working towards minimizing carbon emissions in the Swiss aviation space through the use of solar fuels.
Synhelion co-founder and CEO Dr. Philipp Furler said: “Our next-generation carbon-neutral solar kerosene is an economically and ecologically viable substitute for fossil fuels. “The commitment of SWISS and the Lufthansa Group underlines the aviation sector’s keen interest in our solar fuel.”