A research facility for e-fuels is being built in Leuna. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) plans to study the production of electricity-based fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other e-fuels, on an industrial scale. The facility is set to begin operations in 2028 and will be available to companies and research institutions across Europe.
As announced by DLR at the groundbreaking ceremony on October 1, the facility aims to prepare for the upscaling of production processes for Power-to-Liquid (PtL) products (so-called e-fuels). The goal is not only to optimize the e-fuels themselves but also to improve their industrial production processes and enable technology transfer from research. According to DLR, research work at the TPP is expected to start "in 2028."
The Griesemann Group announced on October 2 that it will plan, build, and operate the facility. The plant constructor was already involved in the feasibility study for the site selection. As the general contractor, it will now take on a large part of the engineering project management, all procurement services, and the development of the approval planning as well as detailed engineering with the participation of in-house, multidisciplinary engineering trades.
After completing the detailed engineering and approval for execution, the facility will be constructed under the overall construction and assembly management of the Griesemann Group. For this, the company will contribute "its entire expertise in engineering and plant technology." In the future, the facility could be expanded with a new research strand and additional components. However, this option depends on future funding. Initially, the TPP will receive 130 million euros in funding for the research platform from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).
First facility to test integration at industrial level
As a publicly funded institution, the platform will be available to industrial companies and research institutions from all over Europe. The CEO of the Wesseling family business, Björn Griesemann, stated that he is pleased to be able to "make an important contribution to the energy transition and the development of forward-looking technologies for sustainable aviation and shipping as the general contractor."
With a capacity of 2,500 tons of PtL product per year, the TPP will be the first facility of its kind to test full integration at an industrial level. This gives it the potential to become a technical benchmark for future production facilities. According to DLR and the Griesemann Group, all synthetic fuels will be produced based on green, RED II-compliant hydrogen, renewable energy, and CO2. The source of the green hydrogen is still unclear. It's possible that the new production capacities in the nearby Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park will play a role. In July 2024, the operators signed a long-term supply contract with the TotalEnergies refinery, which is also located in the Leuna Chemical Park.
The synthesis of the electricity-based fuels takes place using the Fischer-Tropsch process. Synthetic, electricity-based fuels are considered a promising option for decarbonizing operations, especially in aviation. The technology platform marks a significant milestone in scaling up climate-neutral, non-biogenic SAF production at an industrial level.
