+ 
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+ Back
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ + 18-02-2026 +
++ Metafuels brings synthetic aviation fuel to market at commercial scale +
++
+ Global sustainable aviation fuel production must increase more than 150-fold by 2050 to meet projected aviation demand, a scale that bio-based fuels alone cannot deliver. Metafuels, a Swiss aviation technology company, is addressing this challenge with a synthetic methanol-to-jet technology designed to unlock the volumes, economics, and deep lifecycle emissions reductions that aviation will need over the long term. Today, the company announced a $24 million funding round as its aerobrew product moves towards market introduction. +
++ The round is led by UVC Partners, with strong participation from existing investors including Energy Impact Partners (EIP), Contrarian Ventures, RockCreek, Verve Ventures, and Fortescue Ventures. The financing underscores investor confidence in Metafuels’ move from breakthrough technology to first-of-a-kind commercial plants and a repeatable industrial model. +
++ The new capital will drive the realisation of Metafuels’ commercial projects – advancing flagship facilities toward final investment decisions and implementation, while laying the strong engineering, delivery, and organisational foundations needed for multi-plant deployment across Europe and beyond as SAF mandates gain momentum. This includes progressing facilities through front-end engineering and design (FEED), as well as commercial and financial project development activities. +
++ Metafuels is currently preparing its methanol-to-jet demonstration plant at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland for operation, while advancing Turbe, its first commercial e-SAF facility in the Port of Rotterdam. Turbe is intended to be the initial commercial deployment of the aerobrew technology and a blueprint for future large-scale plants aligned with ReFuelEU Aviation and emerging global mandates from 2030 onward. +
++ Decarbonising the aviation sector remains a critical challenge. The sector accounts for over 2% of global CO₂ emissions – some 800 million tonnes. When accounting for additional greenhouse gases and complex climate co-factors resulting from the nature and altitude of emissions, the sector’s total contribution to global warming rises to approximately 3.5%. +
+
+ Methanol-to-jet: a pathway designed for scale
+
+ Metafuels focuses on the methanol-to-jet route to sustainable aviation fuel, a synthetic pathway that converts renewable methanol into drop-in jet fuel. Renewable methanol can be produced either from sustainable biomass or by using renewable electricity and water to make green hydrogen, which is then combined with captured carbon – making methanol one of the most scalable intermediates available for aviation decarbonisation.
+
+ Metafuels’ differentiator is cost leadership, achieved through the ability to convert e-methanol into e-SAF with a significantly higher yield, ensuring a more efficient and cost-effective process. Metafuels’ signature e-SAF, aerobrew, can replace conventional kerosene regardless of the size, type of aircraft, and short-haul or long-haul flights. Metafuels’ fuels are fully compatible with existing aircraft, engines and airport infrastructure. +
++ Compared with today’s dominant SAF pathway – hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), which relies on constrained supplies of waste oils and fats – methanol-based e-SAF is not limited by feedstock availability. As a result, methanol-to-jet is widely regarded as a critical pathway for meeting long-term SAF demand, particularly as blending mandates rise sharply from 2030 onward. +
++ “If sustainable aviation fuel is to become a true alternative to fossil jet fuel, it has to work at an industrial scale and competitive cost,” said Saurabh Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer. “Methanol-to-jet makes that possible. With aerobrew, we are building a technology that allows airlines to decarbonise without changing how they operate – and that has the potential to fundamentally reshape the future of flight. This round is about execution. We are moving from demonstrating our technology to deploying it at an industrial scale.” +
+
+ Industrial readiness and regulatory alignment
+
+ This funding round comes at a critical point for the e-SAF sector. Regulations such as ReFuelEU Aviation are creating clear, long-term demand, while the ASTM accreditation process for methanol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) – the fuel produced by aerobrew – is progressing towards completion, with approval expected in early 2026. This certification is required for large-scale commercial offtake and is a key enabler for investment in synthetic fuel production.
+
+ With projects progressing in Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands, Metafuels is positioned to support the next phase of SAF deployment as regulatory requirements and market demand accelerate through the 2030s.“This investment round is about progressing the implementation of this unique technology that has the potential to scale and drive down costs of SAF up to a point where it becomes an economical alternative to fossil fuel, ” said Johannes von Borries, Managing Partner at UVC Partners. “Metafuels has the potential to drive that shift – fundamentally changing how aviation grows and how people think about flying.” +
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+ + + Sponsor: + +
+-
+
- + + + +
+
+ + + News Category: + +
+-
+
- + + Company News + + +
+
+
+ Other News Items
+
+ +
+
+ -
+
-
+ +++++++ ++
+ Together with the Technical University of Leoben, OMV is driving the decarbonisation of air travel. A one-of-a-kind research facility in Europe has been established at ... +
++++ 26-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ +++++++ ++
+ XGS Energy, a developer of next-generation geothermal power systems, and Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, today announced a strategic collaboration and ... +
++++ 26-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + NEXTCHEM awarded two plastic upcycling projects feasibility studies + +
++ MAIRE announces that Nextchem has been awarded two feasibility studies in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia dedicated to state-of-the-art mechanical upcycling and compounding ... +
++++ 24-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + IMI supplies 2MW electrolyser to IGAT for green hydrogen production in Italy + +
++ IMI has supplied a 2MW electrolyser to Industria Gas Tecnici S.p.A., marking the company’s entry into green hydrogen production under Italy’s national Hydrogen Valley ... +
++++ 24-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + EcoCeres and Chinese aviation partners launch SAF pilot program in China + +
++ EcoCeres Inc., a leading pure-play renewable fuels producer, has launched a sustainable aviation fuel pilot program in China, codenamed “Project Spark”, together ... +
++++ 23-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + ANDRITZ to supply refining technology for cellulosic ethanol pilot plant in the US + +
++ SAFFiRE Renewables has selected ANDRITZ to supply key refining technology for its new pilot plant in Liberal, Kansas that will convert agricultural residues into cellulosic ... +
++++ 23-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ +++++++ ++
+ thyssenkrupp nucera and Moeve have signed an engineering, procurement, fabrication and supply contract for thyssenkrupp nucera to provide its equipment for 300 megawatts ... +
++++ 19-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + thyssenkrupp nucera to conduct FEED study for 260 MW green hydrogen project in India + +
++ thyssenkrupp nucera is expanding its role in the global hydrogen economy with a new Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study for a large-scale project in India. thyssenkrupp ... +
++++ 19-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + Wega selects AFRY as partner for pre-engineering of the Southwest Finland Biorefinery project + +
++ The planned Southwest Finland biorefinery has entered its pre-engineering phase. The energy company Wega has chosen AFRY as its partner for this stage. + +The biorefinery ... +
++++ 19-03-2026 +
+
+ -
+ ++++++++
+ + KBR to set global benchmarks for liquid hydrogen engineering on EcoLog’s Amsterdam terminal + +
++ KBR has been selected to deliver the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the groundbreaking EcoLog Terminal in Amsterdam, the world’s first commercial‑scale facility ... +
++++ 19-03-2026 +
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ SPONSORS
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+