Siemens and CAPHENIA Partner to Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production

Siemens has partnered with cleantech firm CAPHENIA to accelerate the industrial-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The collaboration will leverage Siemens' automation and digitalization portfolio to standardize and scale CAPHENIA's novel bio-methane conversion technology, aiming to meet soaring global demand for lower-emission jet fuel.

The partnership addresses a critical bottleneck in the aviation industry's decarbonization efforts: the lack of sufficient SAF production capacity. With regulatory mandates like the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation requiring escalating blends of SAF at European airports starting in 2025, and industry goals targeting net-zero emissions by 2050, the need for efficient, scalable production methods is urgent. This collaboration combines CAPHENIA's high-efficiency conversion process with Siemens' industrial manufacturing expertise to create a blueprint for rapid, global deployment of SAF facilities.

CAPHENIA's High-Efficiency Conversion Technology

At the core of the partnership is CAPHENIA's proprietary Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid (PBtL) process, a technology protected by more than 250 patents worldwide. This process converts renewable resources, specifically biomethane and renewable electricity, into synthetic fuels. The key component is the Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR), a 3-in-1 zone reactor that uses a plasma process to split bio-methane into its core components: hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

This mixture, known as synthesis gas, is the essential building block for producing synthetic kerosene, or SAF. According to a Siemens press release, the PBR operates at temperatures around 1,500 degrees Celsius. A significant advantage of the CAPHENIA process is its high efficiency; by effectively reusing process heat, the technology achieves an energy efficiency of more than 86%. This efficiency is critical for making the resulting SAF more cost-competitive with conventional jet fuel and minimizing the energy footprint of the production process itself.

Siemens' Role in Industrialization and Scale-Up

Siemens will provide its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of hardware and software to create a standardized, modular, and scalable production model for CAPHENIA's technology. By developing a "digital twin" of the entire production plant, the companies can simulate, optimize, and validate the process before physical construction begins. This digital-first approach is designed to significantly reduce commissioning times and enable a faster global rollout of new production facilities.

"Decarbonizing aviation cannot be achieved without synthetic fuels," said Christian Gückel, Head of Vertical Chemicals at Siemens Digital Industries. "Demand for SAF is growing exponentially, yet production capacity urgently needs to be ramped up." Siemens' automation solutions, including the Simatic PCS neo process control system, will ensure that the complex chemical processes within the PBR are precisely managed for optimal output, safety, and efficiency. This level of industrial automation is essential to move the technology from a promising concept to a reliable, commercial-scale operation.

Meeting Regulatory and Industry Demand

The collaboration is timed to meet intensifying pressure from both regulators and the aviation industry. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group representing global airlines, estimates that SAF could contribute around 65% of the emissions reduction needed for aviation to achieve its net-zero by 2050 goal. To meet this target, the industry will require approximately 500 million tons of SAF annually by mid-century.

Current production levels fall far short of this target. IATA projects that global SAF production will reach just 1.9 million tonnes in 2025, representing only 0.6% of the industry's total jet fuel consumption.

Regulatory bodies are enforcing the transition. In Europe, the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation (EU) 2023/2405 mandates a minimum 2% SAF blend at all EU airports beginning in 2025, a figure that rises steadily to 70% by 2050. On a global scale, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized UN agency, has established a Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for net-zero CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) emissions by 2050, underpinning the international push for alternative fuels. The ICAO's Global Framework for SAF also aims for a 5% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030. Technologies like CAPHENIA's, which can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil kerosene on a lifecycle basis, are central to meeting these mandates.

A Strategic Blueprint for the SAF Market

The partnership model itself is significant for the burgeoning SAF market. Dr. Mark Misselhorn, founder and CEO of CAPHENIA, highlighted the need for rapid industrial scalability and strong technology partnerships in what he described as a fragmented and fast-moving market. By pairing an innovative cleantech firm with an established industrial automation leader, the collaboration de-risks the capital-intensive process of building new SAF plants and creates a repeatable blueprint that can be licensed and deployed worldwide. This strategy aims to accelerate the maturation of the SAF supply chain, which is currently a primary constraint on wider adoption by airlines.

Why This Matters

This Siemens-CAPHENIA partnership represents a critical step in transitioning Sustainable Aviation Fuel from a niche, high-cost alternative to a mainstream industrial product. It directly addresses the industry's most significant challenge: scaling production efficiently and rapidly to meet aggressive regulatory deadlines and climate goals. By creating a standardized, digitally-optimized production model, this collaboration provides a potential blueprint for the global build-out of SAF infrastructure.

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