Sustainability In The Air How Synhelion is turning renewable energy into drop-in sustainable aviation fuel
In this episode, we speak with Philipp Furler, Founder and CEO of Synhelion, who shares how the Swiss technology company is working to scale synthetic fuels by tackling some of the fundamental cost and infrastructure barriers facing SAF today.
Furler discusses:
- The path to $1/litre production costs: How Synhelion targets production costs of around $1 per litre within 10-15 years through three key advantages: cheap solar energy with thermal storage enabling 24/7 operation, avoiding electrolysis and green hydrogen entirely, and achieving over 90% energy conversion efficiency.
- From fuel producer to technology licensor: How Synhelion plans to demonstrate business case viability by developing projects, building plants, and selling fuel up to 30,000 tons annually by 2030, then transitioning to a project developer and technology licensing model.
- Multi-product revenue streams reduce risk: Why producing not just 70% SAF but also diesel, naphtha, and gasoline creates multiple revenue streams, enabling customer partnerships and market momentum to support scale-up.
- Seamless integration with existing refineries: How Synhelion supplies synthetic crude oil directly into refineries in the Lufthansa and Swiss network where it’s co-processed with fossil crude in a mass-balanced system, demonstrating that decarbonisation requires only building new production plants, not rebuilding downstream infrastructure.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Tim Boeltken, Founder and Managing Director at INERATEC, who shares insights into the company’s modular technology platform and the potential of e-fuels to revolutionise the future of SAF. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – a renewable synthetic fuel - Synhelion
German firm Synhelion opens ‘world’s 1st’ industrial solar fuel plant - Interesting Engineering
SWISS integrates first supplies of Synhelion solar SAF into flight operations - GreenAir News