Switzerland-based Metafuels along with technology development partner PSI, the developers of groundbreaking technology for sustainable aviation fuel compatible with existing aircraft, announce a $5 million funding grant from the Swiss Government’s Federal Office of Energy. This follows the $8 million seed funding that Metafuels raised back in 2023.
They have secured the grant funding under the Pilot & Demonstration (P&D) programme, on account of the highly innovative nature of their technology and close alignment with the key objectives of the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050.
Plans for pilot facility
The funds will contribute to the implementation and operation of a pilot facility based on Metafuels’ sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) technology, aerobrew, which is being developed in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Switzerland’s largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences.
Construction of the new pilot plant will take place in a three-storey research hall on the campus of the Paul Scherrer Institute. It will be part of the Energy System Integration or ESI Platform – a test platform, where promising approaches to energy conversion processes for research and industry can be tested in all their complex connections and interrelations.
The pilot plant for converting methanol into e-SAF on this scale will be the first-of-its-kind in Switzerland. The aim is to demonstrate the aerobrew technology, with the next step being scale-up to large-scale commercial use from early 2025.
What challenge does it tackle?
The aviation sector accounts for over 2% of global CO2 emissions, which is around 800 million tonnes. This is in addition to the production of other greenhouse gases and complex climate co-factors arising from the nature and altitude of the emissions which brings the effective figure closer to 3.5%.
While current alternatives such as electrification and hydrogen remain years away from widespread adoption, especially for long-haul flights due to logistical and design hurdles, sustainable aviation fuel emerges as a viable drop-in replacement for conventional kerosene. This is where the technology by Metafuels plays a major role.
What does Metafuels do?
Founded by Leigh Hackett, Saurabh Kapoor, and Ulrich Koss in 2019, Metafuels focuses on sustainable aviation fuel made using renewable electricity. It is a further environmentally-refined version of what has emerged as the leading long-term strategy to decarbonise air travel. It does not require the re-engineering or re-purchase of aircraft—nor a redesign of the underlying fueling infrastructure which supports both commercial and cargo airlines, route planning, and the existing customer experience, all of which make it an attractive and versatile option.
It is claimed that aerobrew e-SAF can replace conventional kerosene regardless of the size and type of aircraft or whether it operates short- or long-haul. But unlike competitors in this space, aerobrew technology aims to achieve the lowest cost of production through high efficiency and ultra-high yield of e-SAF. Similarly, the technology is expected to achieve high environmental performance—through an up to 90% reduction of life cycle emissions and not chipping away at food and feed supply chains.
Saurabh Kapoor, CEO and co-founder at Metafuels, said: “International business travel – powered by aviation – as well as the exporting of key Swiss goods – represent a significant proportion of the Swiss economy, and a key challenge to overcome in decarbonising the Swiss economy. Two of our major airports, Zurich and Geneva, are both international transportation hubs connecting passengers East to West, and across Europe – so decarbonising our aviation industry will also play a role in the mission to decarbonise the global economy. We are proud to secure this grant, not only for the important work it will fund to bring our technology to life – but what it represents, placing us at the heart of an increasingly innovative, start-up oriented Swiss economy.”
“Thanks to our expertise in both basic research and engineering sciences, as well as our many years of experience in the development and operation of such large-scale systems, our collaboration with Metafuels will accelerate the implementation of this novel technology for the decarbonisation of the aviation industry,” said Marco Ranocchiari, head of the ESI platform at PSI.
What do we think about Metafuels?
Metafuels is all set to revolutionise the aviation industry with its aerobrew e-SAF technology, offering a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to conventional kerosene. By leveraging renewable electricity, Metafuels aims to achieve high efficiency and significantly reduce life cycle emissions.
With strong support from the Swiss government and strategic collaboration with PSI, the company is well-positioned to lead the decarbonisation of air travel, making a substantial impact on global CO2 emissions.
