Alby PtX has selected Topsoe and Sasol as technology licensors for a planned synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) facility in Alby, Sweden, in a development aimed at supplying the European Union and UK markets.
The plant is designed to produce approximately 66,000 metric tons of eSAF a year. Alby PtX has signed a licensing and engineering agreement with the two companies, which will provide the technical packages needed for the next phase of the project.
Technology package combines hydrogen and captured carbon
The proposed fuel will be made using renewable hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide. Topsoe will contribute its eREACT™ synthetic gas technology and hydroprocessing systems, while Sasol will provide its LTFT™ low-temperature Fischer Tropsch technology.
Under the partners’ integrated gas-to-liquid approach, the process will first produce synthetic gas before converting and upgrading the resulting hydrocarbons into aviation fuel. The agreement therefore covers the main technology elements required for the planned eSAF production route, rather than representing a completed investment decision or an operating facility.
| Project detail | Planned position |
|---|---|
| Location | Alby, Sweden |
| Product | Synthetic sustainable aviation fuel |
| Designed annual output | Approximately 66,000 metric tons |
| Expected final investment decision | 2028 |
| Planned start of operations | 2031 |
| Intended markets | European Union and UK |
“Scaling eSAF production is an important step towards strengthening Europe’s energy resilience and fuel supplies, and towards decarbonising aviation.” — Yassir Ghiyati, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe
Project remains several stages from production
Topsoe and Sasol are expected to deliver engineering packages that establish the technical basis for the project’s next development stage. Alby PtX is targeting a final investment decision in 2028, followed by the planned start of operations in 2031. Those milestones mean the facility remains a project under development and has not yet entered commercial production.
The agreement follows other recent joint arrangements involving Topsoe and Sasol with HDF Energy, Bharat Petroleum and Allied Biofuels. For the Alby project, the companies’ role is focused on licensing and engineering support for the proposed Swedish plant.
Topsoe said the combined gas-to-liquid system would support Alby PtX as it advances the project. Sasol Executive Vice President for Business Building, Strategy and Technology Sarushen Pillay said the company was “pleased to bring decades of experience in Fischer Tropsch technology to this project.”
The project’s proposed use of renewable hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide places it within the emerging power-to-liquid segment of the SAF market. Its planned output is intended for two major aviation fuel markets, although the announcement does not identify airlines, airports or individual supply agreements that would take the fuel once production begins.
