Boeing backs Norsk e-Fuel’s hydrogen-based SAF plans

Boeing has made an undisclosed investment in Norsk e-Fuel to support its green hydrogen-based sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) plans.

The aircraft giant hopes its investment will support the scaling of SAF production to meet EU mandates while also informing policy decisions to enable “the economic viability of the global SAF industry.

Norsk e-Fuel currently has four e-fuel plants planned for the Nordics. The most advanced development, Project Mosjøen in Nesbruket, Norway, plans to produce 50 million litres of e-Crude and is currently in its basic engineering stage.

The company will use a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) process to convert green hydrogen and recycled CO2 into SAF.

“Our support of and collaboration with Norsk e-Fuel underscores the importance of using fossil-free energy to accelerate SAF production,” said Steve Gillard, Boeing’s Regional Sustainability Director for Europe, Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Central Europe.

The investment comes as the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation legislation comes into force, setting a minimum 2% SAF blend mandate for aircraft fuel suppliers. This will incrementally increase to a 70% share by 2050.

“Our goal is to make e-fuels competitive with and eventually replace fossil fuels in critical infrastructures as SAF needs to become readily accessible and affordable for advancing aviation’s decarbonisation,” said Lars Bjørn Larsen, CCO of Norsk e-Fuel.

“Boeing’s investment will further accelerate our project pipeline and will facilitate the broader aviation industry’s transition to Net Zero emissions.”

Gair Karlsen CEO of Norway’s largest air carrier, Norwegian, said the investment reinforced the need for a “supportive policy environment to fully realise the potential of e-fuels production in Norway.”