Icelandic green hydrogen project developer IðunnH2 has partnered with Haffner Energy on the buildout of a 300MW sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant.
Located at Keflavík International Airport, the project is planned to produce 65,000 tonnes of SAF per year, which the partners say could meet 15% of the nation’s projected 2028 jet fuel demand.
Green hydrogen produced using Iceland’s wind, hydropower and geothermal-powered grid, will be combined with biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), supplied from Haffner’s gasification technology.
Haffner’s technology will provide the plant with solid biochar, a by-product of biomass thermolysis, which will be gasified on-site to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). According to the French firm, this process will bring about a “fundamental change” in the economics of SAF production.
“Biocarbon is far easier and cheaper to transport and store than CO2, which will make many e-SAF projects economically viable,” said Philippe Haffner, co-founder and CEO of Haffner Energy.
The partners say the plant will allow airlines at Keflavík Airport to exceed the 6% EU SAF blending mandate in 2030.
IðunnH2 in 2023 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Icelandair to explore supplying the airline with up to 45,000 tonnes of SAF from 2028.
IðunnH2’s co-founder and CEO, Nanna Baldvinsdóttir, said the deal would help direct renewable power onto Iceland’s aircraft fleet, not only reducing emissions, but also decreasing the nation’s import dependence.
