Our mission
Nordic Electrofuel will utilize renewable electricity, hydrogen, and CO2 to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). We aim to provide a scalable and viable solution for decarbonizing aviation.
Grant agreement with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Emission Trading System Innovation Fund. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
E-fuel Pilot: Innovative and cost-efficient production process for Power-to-Liquid using industrial off-gases
The objective of the E-Fuel Pilot project is to set up and operate a first-in-kind plant for synthetic fuel production at Herøya, Norway. The key innovation is the Power-to-energy (P2X) e-fuel production process provided by Nordic Electrofuel AS (NELF), a breakthrough in flexibility, reliability, and simplicity. The P2X process will also be very energy efficient with carbon utilisation at close to 100%. The carbon source is the blast furnace waste gas from a local Ferro/Silicon-Manganese plant. The carbon capture and use (CCU) based process will use reversed water gas shift and Fischer-Tropsch technology to produce 8 000 tonnes/year of synthetic hydrocarbons (syncrude). A relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emission avoidance above 99% is expected, compared with the reference scenario.
The plant will convert blast furnace gas directly to e-fuel, at lower cost (CAPEX and OPEX) and higher efficiencies compared with current state-of-the-art projects. As well as sourcing carbon from blast furnace waste gases, the project process is also suitable for other CO/CO2 sources, such as metal and cement production or waste incineration. A patented solution to achieve increased cost efficiency (named POX-rWGS), will also be tested, which includes a new gas-gas syngas cooler that allows higher recovery of heat. The E-Fuel Pilot project will demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the concept, paving the way for a future full-scale plant.
The refined syncrude products will be used to replace fossil-based products in the aviation and other hard-to-abate sectors. The products can be used in existing engines and infrastructure without any modifications. Additionally, other benefits will be derived during use. For example, kerosene from syncrude has a clean combustion which significantly reduces particulate emissions, contributing to reducing cirrus clouds which are severe for global warming. The project plans to avoid 228 163 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of absolute emissions in the first 10 years of operation.
Project timeline and foreseen project results
The timeline for E-Fuel Pilot project is shown in the figure below.
The E-Fuel Pilot will contribute to the overall objective of the RE-Power EU goal of reducing fossil fuel consumption in industry and transport sectors. It will contribute to the decarbonisation of the aviation and maritime sectors, in line with the policy objectives of the REfuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime initiatives, as well as other national goals.
The project will also have relevant socio-economic impact at regional level. The E-fuel Pilot project will contribute to creating 270 direct jobs and an estimate of 700 indirect jobs, including engineering activities. The next possible step is an “accelerator” plant with significantly increased production volume and further innovations.
Participant and coordinator contact details
Gunnar Holen (CEO)
Email: gunnar.holen@nordicelectrofuel.no
Mobile: +47 952 55 835
Plants and projects
Our first plant is located at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. The plant is named E-fuel1 and is designed for a yearly production capacity of 10 million litres of synthetic fuels. This will result in a reduction of the CO2 industrial footprint by 25,000 tonnes annually.
Nordic Electrofuel utilizes Norway’s rich access to renewable hydropower and CO2 from point source emissions such as the ferromagnetic and cement industry,
waste burning plants or bio-fuel plants.
We will combine this with advanced technology to enable us to offer carbon neutral liquified electricity at competitive prices. We have developed an innovative and robust production concept to realize competitive production cost. After upscaling to industrial scale, various CO/CO2-sources can be used from metal or cement production or waste incineration.
Our first e-fuel plant, E-fuel Pilot, will start operations in 2027 at Herøya Industrial Park, Norway. Proven technology systems like FT, reversed water gas shift and alkaline electrolysis will becombined with an innovative syngas solution to valorise mixed carbon sources in a flexible way.
E-fuel Pilot will demonstrate significant advantages compared with other technologies with lower TRL, incl. lower CAPEX and OPEX, and less risk for carbon formation and metal dusting.
FAQ
1. What is Nordic Electrofuel and what problem do you solve?
Nordic Electrofuel pioneers the production of high-quality synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAF). By combining water, captured CO₂, and renewable electricity, we transform clean energy into “liquid electricity” — a scalable solution to decarbonize air travel.
Our CO2-neutral e-fuels are designed to meet the strict requirements of aviation: they are drop-in compatible with today’s aircraft and fueling infrastructure, offering airlines a practical solution to cut emissions and progress toward climate goals. With one of the lowest greenhouse gas intensities among fuel alternatives, our technology contributes to building a more sustainable future for the aviation.
2. How are synthetic e fuels produced, and why are they needed for aviation?
Synthetic e fuels are made by combining hydrogen — produced from water using renewable electricity — with captured CO₂ to create clean, drop-in fuels. They can be used in today’s aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure without modification.
Aviation cannot yet be fully electrified, as battery technology for long-haul flights is not available at the necessary scale. E-fuels provide a scalable solution today, enabling airlines to reduce emissions without waiting for new aircraft technologies.
Nordic Electrofuel is leading the way by building one of the world’s first commercial power-to-liquid hydrocarbon plants.
3. Where and when will you start production?
Set to begin operations in 2029, E-Fuel1, Nordic Electrofuel’s first plant at Herøya in Porsgrunn, Norway, represents a major step toward reducing aviation’s global carbon footprint.
This milestone project will not only supply sustainable jet fuel but also create a profitable new green industry and high-quality jobs in Norway. Looking ahead, we plan to build several similar plants to scale production and are proactively securing renewable power, water, CO₂, and land to meet growing demand.
4. What makes Nordic Electrofuel’s technology innovative and scalable?
• First of its kind: This will be the first industrial-scale e-plant producing synthetic liquid hydrocarbon-based fuel (rather than power-to-gas or power-to-methanol) from CO₂, water, and renewable electricity.
• Novel reactor and process: The conversion of CO₂ to hydrocarbon liquids is done in a non-catalytic oxygen promoted syngas reactor that combines conversion of CO2 to CO and reforming of tail gas from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor that is used to produce the liquid hydrocarbons. This gives a more efficient, flexible and robust plant and it significantly reduces both Capex and Opex. The syngas reactor is easy to scale at least 10 times from E-Fuel1 size.
• Electrolyser innovation: We use electrolysers that produce pure oxygen for the syngas reactor.
• Scalable Fischer-Tropsch process: The tubular fixed-bed Fischer-Tropsch reactors are the most mature, robust and flexible technology and are very easy to scale at least 10 times from E-Fuel1 size.
5. Why choose e-SAF over batteries or bio-SAF alternatives?
E-SAF (electro-sustainable aviation fuel) offers a realistic and immediate way to cut emissions in aviation. Some transport sectors especially aviation cannot switch to battery technology overnight due to the scale of energy storage required. E-SAF is a drop-in fuel that works in today’s aircraft and fueling infrastructure, meaning it can start reducing emissions right away. Compared to bio-SAF, e-SAF is produced from renewable electricity, water, and captured CO₂, making it fully scalable without relying on limited biomass resources. This makes it a reliable, environmentally friendly solution that supports the zero-emission goal and accelerates the green transition.
6. How does Nordic Electrofuel’s e-SAF fare in terms of emissions and compatibility?
According to the EU RED methodology, our e-SAF achieved a 90% reduction in GHG emissions compared to conventional fossil jet fuel*. The Fischer-Tropsch pathway utilized in our production process is fully certified under the ASTM D7566 standard for synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK). This certification enables customers to implement our solution seamlessly as a drop-in fuel, maintaining compatibility with their current fleet and infrastructure**.
* Based on COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2023/1185, defining the methodology for assessing GHG emissions for RFNBO to comply with mandatory blending mandates for synthetic aviation fuel defined under ReFuelEU Aviation.
** According to ASTM D7566 Annex A1, FT SPK can be used in blends up to 50%
