Located at the Leuna Chemical Complex, the plant is expected to produce 2,500 tonnes of e-fuels per year, mainly e-kerosene, once it’s operational in Q4 2027.

Specifically, Topsoe’s eREACT and hydro processing technologies will produce low-carbon hydrogen and syngas from renewable feedstocks. Meanwhile, Sasol will contribute its low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch technology, which converts syngas into liquid hydrocarbons.

The two companies act together as one technology licensor for the technologies. The model builds on the joint venture they established in 2023, designed to advance commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

Sasol’s Sarushen Pillay said, “[The project] will be an important step in enabling SAF production at scale, as well as supporting downstream application and flight testing to move us to a fully decarbonised industry.”

Up to €130m ($151m) of funding has been secured from the German Federal Ministry for Transport has been secured to develop the facility, which could be the largest demonstration and research facility in the world.

Griesemann Gruppe acts as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, building and integrating the systems.

The German Aerospace Centre (DLR), which signed the cooperation agreement with Topsoe and Sasol, oversees R&D and operational testing.

The Leuna demonstration forms part of DLR’s e-fuels Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP).

“As a lighthouse project, the TPP offers a unique research platform,” explained Manfred Aigner, Coordinator for Sustainable Fuels at DLR.

“Our aim is to work in an application-oriented manner and to close the gap between the laboratory and the refinery in the development of power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels.”

PtL fuels such as e-kerosene are seen as key to decarbonising long-haul aviation, where direct electrification remains technically and economically unfeasible. They offer lower lifecycle emissions and can be used within existing infrastructure.