Axens Launches Industrial Scale SAF Unit in France

Axens has announced the launch of the ERA project (Ethanol to Refuel Aviation), France's first industrial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production unit based on advanced bioethanol. With a planned capacity of 50 000 tpy, the facility, currently in the process of site selection in France, is expected to start operations in 2030.

The ERA project further strengthens Axens’ industrial commitment to the transition toward low-carbon mobility, alongside the NACRE project (an advanced bioethanol production facility at the Lacq site, which has obtained its construction permit) and the MACARON project (a battery materials production facility in Valenciennes, for which a construction permit application has recently been submitted).

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ERA Project: An Industrial Milestone for the Development of a French SAF Industry

The growing demand for SAF from the aviation sector requires the expansion of production beyond current SAF pathways based on used cooking oils and animal fats (the so-called HEFA route). The ERA project will help meet this need by broadening access to new SAF sources derived from biomass residues, representing an important step toward strengthening the energy sovereignty of French and European air transport.

Currently in the engineering phase, the project will be carried out by a dedicated project company named SAFIRIS and is targeted to begin production in 2030.

It will leverage the JetanolTM technology developed by Axens and IFPEN, which has been proven in various petrochemical applications and optimised to maximise SAF yields.

The facility’s capacity has been set at 50 000 tpy of SAF production, using advanced ethanol sourced from European feedstocks.

An Industrial Response to a Sovereignty Challenge

France set SAF blending targets as early as 2020, and Europe subsequently reinforced and expanded this ambition through the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, which requires the incorporation of more than 1 million tpy of SAF for flights departing from France by 2035. Such a target represents a significant opportunity to develop French and European SAF production value chains based on domestic resources and technologies, complementing existing SAF production from used cooking oils and animal fats, as well as future e-SAF production.

"With ERA, we are leveraging the full breadth of our technological expertise and project management capabilities to build, in France, an industrial SAF value chain based on French and European resources. This is a sovereignty project as much as it is an energy transition project, bringing together the agricultural and low-carbon chemicals ecosystems. ERA, which will demonstrate the strong performance of our Jetanol technology, will serve as a replicable model for France, Europe, and the rest of the world," said Quentin Debuisschert, CEO and Chairman of Axens.

Axens' Sustainable Aviation Fuels Overview
This short visual explains the various proven technologies and scalable solutions that can convert renewable resources into sustainable aviation fuel to support industry decarbonization targets.