The four project partners cover the entire value creation chain necessary to produce CO₂-neutral kerosene, so-called Power-to-Liquid kerosene.
The project is also supported by TUHH Technical University of Hamburg as research partner, Hamburg’s senate as well as Hamburg Airport. In addition, the Emirates Air has indicated its interest in acting as a customer for the PtL-SAF produced by Green Fuels Hamburg.
Green Fuels Hamburg is designed to make a substantial contribution to decarbonizing the aviation sector. From 2026, the production facility in its initial configuration is projected to produce at least 10,000 tonnes of PtL-SAF annually. This would produce 20% of the PtL-SAF required by the German government in its PtL Roadmap for SAF blends from 2026.
As a world-leading innovation and aviation hub, Hamburg offers the best possible preconditions for this pioneering industrial-scale project. The region is close to renewable energy sources while also being home to SAF customers in industry and aviation.
The Green Fuels Hamburg consortium plans to build a major electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen using electricity provided by offshore wind power in an industrial zone in Hamburg’s Billbrook/Rothenburgsort area.
This is coupled with on-site production of PtL-SAF with synthesis techniques that will include the Fischer-Tropsch process, and using green hydrogen and processed CO₂ to produce a sustainable kerosene. The result is CO₂-neutral SAF that is already certified as an aviation fuel today. This makes Green Fuels Hamburg a pioneer for PtL-SAF production in Germany, supporting ambitions for the city of Hamburg to build a sustainable economy with renewable fuels.
Commenting from the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation said, “Green hydrogen is a key technology of the future on the path to climate neutrality. This also applies to downstream products such as fuels synthesised using electricity. The market ramp-up of hydrogen is one of the most important projects in northern German economic and energy policy, and is of immense importance for the whole of Germany.
“With a resurgence in passenger numbers, high airfreight volumes and rising oil prices, alternatives to fossil kerosene and solutions for reducing CO2 emissions are essential. The climate-neutral aviation of the future needs global projects like Green Fuels Hamburg to take a decisive step forward in terms of fuel production. This is an excellent opportunity for Hamburg as a place for aviation to add stimulus in Sustainable Aviation Fuels.”
Jens Kerstan, Senator for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, added, “Hamburg, as a modern metropolitan region and major industrial location in Germany, must do everything it can to protect people from the consequences of climate change. For the necessary transformation of the energy system, additional energy sources are needed for decarbonization in addition to direct electrification. In particular, green hydrogen and synthetic energy sources based on it will play a key role."
Project participant Dr. Holger Kreetz, COO Asset Management at Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH said, “One of Uniper’s main goals is to effectively decarbonize other industries as well as its own, without neglecting security of supply. Hamburg as a location for innovation – with direct access to renewable energies as well as customers on the industrial and aviation side – is predestined for a pioneering role in power-to-liquid. With this partnership, we will be able to cover approx. 1/5 of the quantity of green PtL kerosene required in Germany in the initial phase. Green Fuels Hamburg will contribute significantly to decarbonization but also to security of supply.”
Will Löfberg, Vice President – International, Government and Environment Affairs at Emirates Airline noted, “Emirates is strongly supportive of this initiative to develop environmentally and economically sustainable power-to-liquid fuel. The launch of the Green Fuels Hamburg project is a major milestone towards scaling up the production of this type of sustainable aviation fuel, which has the potential to make a substantial contribution towards the aviation industry’s emissions reduction goals. We welcome Germany’s leadership in bringing together international expertise and investing in the technology to bring power-to-liquid fuel ultimately to the market.”
