The Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP) as flagship project to over-come obstacles in the market ramp-up of SAF

Kurzfassung

Making aviation more climate-friendly requires a rapid, efficient, and significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) and pollutant climate-damaging emissions. A promising measure in this regard is the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), which is already being promoted through legally binding EU-wide blending obligations. However, the availability of SAF to make a significant contribution to reducing GHG emissions and fulfilling the quotas requires a rapid market ramp-up of such fuels. From an economic perspective, a market ramp-up is achieved when the product is broadly in demand and is produced in correspondingly large quantities. This in turn requires the necessary production capacities to ensure availability. In the case of SAF, this step has not yet been taken. To assist in overcoming those problems, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is building up the Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP). The overall aim of the TPP project is to support the market ramp-up of PtL fuels with the focus on SAF. To achieve this goal the research will include (I) demonstrating the performance of the whole PtL process chain at semi-industrial scale (capacity about 2.500 t/a), (II) supporting the industry in the development, de-risking, and upscaling of the PtL technology, (III) optimizing the production process, (IV) optimizing the PtL fuels regarding composition and properties in order to minimize the emissions and increase the efficiency of the combustion process, and (V) the real application of PtL fuels as information about logistics concepts, engine perfor-mance, emissions, and others will be needed for the market ramp-up as well. The contribution will give an overview about the present challenges regarding the market ramp-up of SAF and how the TPP can address them. Also, a status update of the current build-up phase will be given as well.