Accelerating the scale-up of sustainable aviation fuel

Siemens and the ‘cleantech’ company Caphenia have entered a partnership to scale the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a synthetic kerosene made from renewable feedstocks that can reduce CO² emissions by up to 80% compared to ‘fossil kerosene’. Siemens will provide digitalisation and automation solutions for Caphenia’s plasma technology, which ‘converts bio-methane into synthesis gas’. Their aim is a standardised concept that enables the global rollout of commercial production facilities.

Caphenia’s technology uses a plasma process to split bio-methane into synthesis gas at temperatures of around 1,500°C. The company’s Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR) is a three-in-one zone reactor that integrates three established chemical reactions in one system. The resulting synthesis gas can then be further processed into SAF, renewable diesel, or chemical products — without by-products and with minimal energy losses.

Christian Gückel, head of ‘Vertical Chemicals’ at Siemens Digital Industries, said: “Decarbonising aviation cannot be achieved without synthetic fuels. Demand for SAF is growing exponentially, yet production capacity urgently needs to be ramped up. This is exactly where Siemens comes in: with our digitalisation and automation solutions, we are making Caphenia’s technology industrially scalable and thus accelerating its global market ramp-up.”

Mark Misselhorn, Caphenia’s founder and CEO, added: “This partnership shows how technology leaders are working together to drive forward the energy transition. Siemens brings the portfolio and expertise to standardise and digitalise our plants. However, the market for SAFs will not grow evenly — it will fragment. Those that scale quickly, are industrial-ready, and have the right partners will lead. Together, we are not only laying the foundation for the international ramp-up of our PBR technology — we want to lead it.”

Under the agreement, Siemens becomes Caphenia’s preferred supplier and technology partner, offering solutions from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, including process control systems, drive technology, measurement technology, and process simulation software. Digital twins will make it possible to optimise operating parameters before physical commissioning and to manage processes consistently across different sites.