Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has become the first commercial airline to use Synhelion’s solar-derived aviation fuel as part of regular flight operations, marking a significant milestone in the path towards net-zero aviation.

Developed by Swiss clean-tech start-up Synhelion, the synthetic crude oil was produced at the company’s DAWN facility using solar heat, before being refined into Jet-A1 aviation fuel in Northern Germany. This certified fuel was then incorporated into SWISS’s flight infrastructure via the fuel supply system at Hamburg Airport.

While the volume delivered – a single 190-litre barrel – accounted for just 7% of the fuel needed for a standard Hamburg-Zurich flight, the move is being hailed as a breakthrough that demonstrates the technical feasibility of Synhelion’s solution and paves the way for scaling up production.

SWISS chief executive Jens Fehlinger said: “This first delivery of Synhelion’s solar fuel marks a genuine milestone in our long-standing partnership. We are truly proud to be playing such a pioneering role, in partnership with Synhelion, in driving and developing this vital new technology for a more sustainable aviation sector.”

Synhelion’s co-founder and co-chief executive, Philipp Furler, said: “This milestone brings us one step closer to globally scaling up our solar fuel technology. And we’re very grateful to have such invaluable support from our partners at SWISS and the Lufthansa Group.”

Certified progress towards commercialisation

Synhelion’s solar fuel technology uses concentrated sunlight to produce syngas, which can be converted into synthetic crude oil. Once refined, this product is chemically equivalent to conventional jet fuel and can be used within existing infrastructure.

The fuel’s seamless integration into refinery processes and airport fuel systems is critical for enabling widespread industry adoption. A lifecycle assessment carried out by an independent institution shows Synhelion’s fuel significantly exceeds the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive requirement for a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil kerosene.

SWISS has supported Synhelion’s commercialisation efforts since 2020 and became an investor in the company in 2022. The next step in their partnership involves securing EU sustainability certification for the fuel and its production process, with commercial-scale entry targeted from 2027.

The development of industrial-scale production capacity is now underway to allow continuous fuel output that meets both industry needs and environmental standards.

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