Finnair announced that it has become part of a renewable sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) production pilot by Liquid Sun, with electrical engineering company ABB, Nordic energy company Fortum and Finnish airport company Finavia as additional partners.

Liquid Sun, a Finnish firm, is launching what it calls a “globally unique” pilot project to produce eSAF from biogenic carbon emissions, including from forests and biogas plants. Originating from research at Tampere University in Finland, Liquid Sun has developed an innovation based on low-temperature electrolysis (LTE) technology that converts emissions and renewable hydrogen into eSAF.

The pilot electro-fuel production unit, to be located in Espoo, Finland, will be fully operational this fall. This is the first pre-commercial production pilot of its kind, according to the announcement, aiming to establish a functioning ecosystem and value chain for synthetic fuel production in Finland. In this collaborative project, the companies will jointly develop eSAF production, conduct validation and build capabilities for globally scalable processes to secure the future supply of domestically produced SAF.

Riku Aho, vice president energy transition at Finnair, said, “Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, and its energy transition will require innovation and collaboration across the value chain. We want to contribute to developing Finland’s capability in synthetic aviation fuel production while advancing the industry’s carbon neutrality goals.”