Düsseldorf starts production of sustainable aviation fuel
A pioneering project for the sustainable transition of air transport is taking shape at Düsseldorf Airport. The start-up Greenlyte, based in Essen, is building a plant dedicated to the new generation of sustainable fuel based on the power-to-liquid process, which allows the production of synthetic kerosene directly from the air (air-to-tank).
On the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding, Eurowings (a Lufthansa Group company with its main operational base in Düsseldorf) will become the exclusive buyer of the entire fuel production for the first three years and a strategic partner in the project.
The laboratory, set to become one of the world's largest in the Direct Air Capture to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (DAC-to-SAF) sector, will have an annual capacity of around 150 tonnes of synthetic fuel, equivalent to around 60 Düsseldorf-Palma flights with the current SAF blending limit of 50%. The necessary electricity will be partly supplied by a photovoltaic system installed at the airport.
The technology developed by Greenlyte involves the extraction of CO₂ directly from the atmosphere and the simultaneous production of green hydrogen, which are subsequently combined to obtain sustainable fuel. The plant will have a proof-of-concept role, paving the way for large-scale commercial facilities.
Today, the cost of power-to-liquid SAF remains up to ten times higher than traditional kerosene and production is limited to a few laboratories. Only by increasing supply and reducing costs will it be possible to meet mixing quotas and make the aviation sector sustainable mobility.
