Synthetic kerosene is made by using water and electricity to produce hydrogen, which is then combined with carbon dioxide to make crude oil, which is then refined into jet fuel. A new plant in Germany plans to be the largest synthetic kerosene producer in the world, using water and electricity from nearby wind farms and captured carbon to make the jet fuel carbon neutral.
The plant will be located in Werlte, near Germany’s northwestern border with the Netherlands, and plans to begin producing synthetic kerosene as early as next year. They are hopeful that by 2030, they can scale up production significantly and cut down the cost of synthetic fuel to just five euros per gallon.
Currently, aviation accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but researchers are confident that e-fuels could cut emissions without significant modifications to aircraft, as would be required to make airplanes electric.
Atmosfair, the German non-profit group behind the project, hopes that this plant will serve as a blueprint for other countries looking to scale up their e-fuel production.
