SWECO SUPPORTS NORSK E-FUEL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-FUEL PRODUCTION SITES

17^th of October 2024, Oslo (Norway), Helsinki (Finland)

Sweco provides engineering services for synthetic Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) projects in Finland, which will have a crucial role in the green transition of the transport sector.

Norsk e-Fuel, a project development company with a focus on e-fuel production, plans to deliver fossil-free fuels to the aviation industry to ensure the energy transition in this hard-to-electrify sector. To meet the growing demand of e-fuels, Norsk e-Fuel is building a carefully curated portfolio of e-Fuel projects, focusing on selecting the ideal locations. After an initial focus on Norway and the project in Mosjøen, Northern Norway, the company has recently announced its expansion into Finland. By securing 14 hectares of land in the Port of Rauma, Norsk e-Fuel is now starting the early development of an e-Fuel plant with up to 100 million liters of production capacity.

Norsk e-Fuel sees Finland as an interesting location for e-fuel production due to several factors. “Finland offers a well-established planning process for electricity access, a societal and political interest in establishing new energy-intensive industries, and the availability of key feedstocks such as biogenic CO₂. This makes the country a particularly attractive market”, says Karl Hauptmeier, CEO of Norsk e-Fuel.

Therefore, Norsk e-Fuel is evaluating more potential project sites in Finland and is establishing a strong network of partners across the entire value chain. Engineering and consulting company Sweco has been selected to support Norsk e-Fuel in the development of these SAF production sites in Finland. Sweco will be assisting Norsk e-Fuel by providing them engineering services for the early phase concept development. For instance, this work covers multidisciplinary engineering tasks, focusing on characteristics of green hydrogen production and reliable electricity distribution to the sites. Also permitting services are provided in this partnership, including tasks related to permitting plan and EIA procedures of the planned sites.

“Our collaboration with Sweco started early on when we were looking to expand into Finland, and it has been very fruitful. Not only have their expertise, in-depth knowledge and dedication proven to be very valuable. We especially appreciate the pragmatic, solution-oriented approach they bring to the development of this new industry. We look forward to working together on Project Rauma and other projects in the future!”, says Project Manager Martin Straub from Norsk e-Fuel.

“Norsk e-Fuel is an innovative company with a strong plan to produce SAF for the aviation sector. We see that they have the right mindset and needed resources to enter the market, and already the SAF production capacity in Rauma will enable a significant reduction in aviation emissions. The co-operation with Norsk e-Fuel has been effective and seamless, and we’re glad to support them also in the upcoming engineering phases of these projects”, says Tomas Norrena, Hydrogen Business Lead of Sweco.