Metafuels Secures €1.92M Grant for Rotterdam e-SAF Project

Swiss aviation technology company Metafuels has been awarded a €1.92 million grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), formally known as Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, to advance its synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) project in the Port of Rotterdam. The funding will support the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase for the company's first commercial-scale facility, which aims to begin production in 2030.

The grant represents a critical step in de-risking the project, dubbed 'Turbe', and moves it closer to a Final Investment Decision (FID) targeted for mid-2026. The facility will be located at the Evos terminal in Rotterdam and will utilize Metafuels' proprietary 'aerobrew' methanol-to-jet technology. This development is strategically timed to help airlines meet upcoming European Union mandates for synthetic fuel usage, positioning Rotterdam as a key hub in Europe's aviation energy transition.

Project Details and Technology

The Turbe project is designed to produce e-SAF through a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) pathway, which uses renewable electricity, green hydrogen, and captured carbon dioxide. According to Metafuels, this process can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel. The initial production capacity is planned for 12,000 litres of e-SAF per day, with a proposed Phase 2 scale-up to 120,000 litres per day.

The FEED contract, supported by the grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), has been awarded to McDermott Netherlands. This engineering phase is essential for finalizing the technical specifications and cost estimates required before capital can be committed for construction.

Saurabh Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer of Metafuels, stated that securing the RVO grant is a strong validation of their aerobrew technology and their approach to scaling e-SAF production. He emphasized that Rotterdam is an ideal European hub for delivering large-scale synthetic fuel projects.

Regulatory and Market Context

This project directly addresses the requirements of the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation. The EU mandate requires fuel suppliers to blend a minimum share of synthetic aviation fuels, starting at 1.2% in 2030 and increasing to 35% by 2050. This creates a guaranteed market for the Turbe facility's output and drives the urgency for projects like it across Europe.

The development also reflects a broader industry trend of shifting toward PtL e-SAF pathways. Unlike Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) SAF, which relies on constrained feedstocks like used cooking oils, e-SAF offers a more scalable long-term solution by leveraging renewable power and carbon capture.

e-SAF vs. HEFA SAF

Stakeholder and Industry Impact

For European Airlines, particularly those operating out of major hubs like Amsterdam Schiphol, the project represents a crucial step toward securing a local, scalable supply of e-SAF to meet the 2030 blending mandates. The project's location in the Port of Rotterdam provides significant logistical advantages for distribution.

For project partner Evos Rotterdam, it secures a major tenant for renewable fuels and solidifies its terminal's position as a multimodal hub for both renewable methanol and e-SAF storage and handling. The project aligns with the Port of Rotterdam's larger strategy to become a central hub for low-carbon energy carriers.

What Comes Next

The immediate focus is on completing the FEED stage, which is now funded by the RVO grant. Following its successful completion, the next major milestone for the Turbe project is the Final Investment Decision (FID), which Metafuels and its partners expect to reach by mid-2026. If the FID is positive, construction will commence, with the first commercial production of e-SAF expected in 2030.

Why This Matters

This grant is more than just funding for a single project; it signals growing governmental support for scalable e-SAF technologies essential for aviation's decarbonization. By advancing one of Europe's first commercial-scale methanol-to-jet facilities, Metafuels is helping to build the supply chain necessary for airlines to comply with stringent future environmental regulations. The project serves as a key test case for the economic viability and technical feasibility of Power-to-Liquid fuel production at scale.