Siemens and Caphenia Partner to Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production

Technology giant Siemens has entered a strategic partnership with cleantech company Caphenia to accelerate the industrial-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The collaboration will leverage Siemens' automation and digitalization portfolio to create standardized, modular production facilities, addressing the urgent need to ramp up SAF availability to meet global aviation decarbonization targets.

This partnership aims to resolve a critical bottleneck in the aviation industry's transition to net-zero emissions. While demand for SAF is increasing due to regulatory pressures and corporate commitments, global production remains a fraction of total jet fuel consumption. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), SAF could account for 65% of the emissions reduction required to achieve net-zero aviation by 2050. However, IATA data shows 2024 production was approximately 1 million tonnes, representing just 0.3% of global jet fuel use. By industrializing Caphenia's innovative process, the partners intend to enable a rapid global rollout of SAF manufacturing capacity.

Technology and Process Innovation

At the core of the collaboration is Caphenia's proprietary technology, centered around a unique Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR). This 3-in-1 zone reactor converts bio-methane into synthesis gas (syngas)—a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen—which serves as an intermediate for producing synthetic fuels. The process operates at high temperatures of around 1,500 degrees Celsius and achieves a claimed energy efficiency of over 86%, a critical factor for cost-effective SAF production. This Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid (PBtL) pathway is a method for creating electricity-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF), a crucial long-term solution due to its feedstock scalability.

"This partnership shows how technology leaders are working together to drive forward the energy transition," said Dr. Mark Misselhorn, Founder and CEO of Caphenia. "Siemens brings the portfolio and expertise to standardize and digitalize our plants... Those who scale quickly, those who are industrial-ready, those who have the right partners will lead."

Digitalization for Industrial Scale

Siemens will apply its Xcelerator portfolio of software and automation to optimize the entire lifecycle of Caphenia's production plants. By creating a comprehensive digital twin of the facility and its processes, the companies can simulate, test, and refine operations before physical construction begins. This approach is expected to significantly reduce plant commissioning times and ensure operational efficiency from day one. The goal is to develop a standardized, modular concept that can be replicated globally to accelerate the market ramp-up.

"Decarbonizing aviation cannot be achieved without synthetic fuels. Demand for SAF is growing exponentially, yet production capacity urgently needs to be ramped up," stated Christian Gückel, Head of Vertical Chemicals at Siemens Digital Industries. "This is exactly where Siemens comes in: with our digitalization and automation solutions, we are making Caphenia's technology industrially scalable."

Market Context and Regulatory Drivers

The partnership is timed to meet escalating regulatory requirements, particularly in Europe. The European Union's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation mandates a minimum 2% SAF blend at all EU airports starting in 2025, a figure that will rise progressively to 70% by 2050. The regulation also includes a specific sub-mandate for synthetic fuels like eSAF, starting at 1.2% in 2030 and increasing to 35% by 2050. These mandates create a stable, long-term demand signal essential for attracting investment in new production facilities.

Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) supports SAF adoption through its Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and a Global Framework for SAF, which sets an aspirational goal to reduce CO2 emissions in international aviation by 5% by 2030 through cleaner fuels.

To prove its technology, Caphenia is constructing a pilot plant at the Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt, Germany. Construction began in late 2024, with the facility expected to become operational by mid-2025. This plant will serve as a blueprint for the standardized, large-scale commercial facilities planned under the Siemens partnership.

Why This Matters

This collaboration between a technology incumbent and a cleantech innovator represents a crucial step in translating promising SAF production methods from the laboratory to industrial reality. By focusing on standardization and digitalization, Siemens and Caphenia are directly addressing the primary challenges of cost and scale that have historically limited SAF adoption. The success of this modular approach could create a replicable template for rapidly deploying SAF capacity worldwide, making it a key enabler for the aviation industry's decarbonization efforts.

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