Boeing has announced that it will be investing in Norwegian sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) firm Norsk e-Fuel, which plans to produce SAF at industrial scale in Norway through Power-to-Liquids (PtL) technology. The deal, which is expected to accelerate the Norwegian firm’s industrial plans, was signed on January 21, 2025, in Oslo, Norway.
The aerospace giant’s involvement represents an important endorsement for the young company, which also counts low-cost carrier Norwegian among its key investors.
The Power-to-Liquids (PtL) pathway embraced by Norsk e-Fuel is a multi-stage process through which renewable energy (mostly hydropower in this case) and water are used to make green hydrogen which then is combined with recycled CO2 in order to produce a drop-in aviation fuel.
Although still a unmature technology with costs relatively higher than other SAF pathways, synthetic e-fuels, such as the ones produced through the Power-to-Liquids technology being developed by Norsk e-Fuel, have the potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions of air travel by 90% or more.
This abatement potential and the fact that its production is, in theory, not limited by limited amounts of feedstock, has led the European Union to place high expectations on the development of synthetic aviation fuels.
In this regard, the “ReFuelEU Aviation” initiative, which is part of the “Fit for 55” package of emissions-reducing measures, has set minimum thresholds of e-fuel usage as part of the broader SAF uptake mandates. By 2030, e-fuels will have to account for at least 0.7% of total aviation fuel consumption. This figure will then be increased progressively until it reaches about 35% of SAF usage by 2050.
At the moment, Norsk e-Fuel is evaluating three potential SAF plant emplacements in Norway and Finland, with the potential to produce up to 250 million liters of e-fuels per year, 80% of which would be destined for the aviation market.
