Green energy companies Hydrogen, Enea, and Polymers working collaboratively to explore sustainable jet fuels.
The Por Hydrogen project, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security with Pnrr funds amounting to 110 million euros, is making strides in the production of e-kerosene, a crucial step towards decarbonizing the aviation sector.
The project includes the design of a pilot plant for the production of e-kerosene, a synthetic fuel created via Power-to-Liquid processes using renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. This pilot plant will serve as a testing ground for optimizing the production process, both in terms of plant layout and operating conditions.
The production cost will be calculated as a function of the cost of electricity and CO2 in the ETS emissions market. This approach aligns with the European Union's commitment to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), including e-kerosene, as outlined in regulatory frameworks such as the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative.
The European Union is aggressively pushing SAFs, aiming to scale sustainable fuel supply from 2% in 2025 to 70% by 2050. These policies drive projects that include green hydrogen and synthetic fuel production as critical components to decarbonize aviation.
The e-fuels market, which includes e-kerosene, is rapidly advancing with increasing investments and pilot projects across Europe. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.0% from 2025 to 2030.
In Italy, projects funded under Programs for Research (POR) typically focus on developing green hydrogen technologies and their integration with e-fuel production pathways. Por Hydrogen projects generally include research on green hydrogen generation via electrolysis using renewable energy, pilot plant demonstrations for producing synthetic fuels such as e-kerosene from green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide, and integration efforts aimed at demonstrating scalability and feasibility for aviation fuel substitution to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions.
Enea, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, has launched an initiative to produce e-fuels, or green fuels, for aircraft. Claudia Bassano, a researcher at the Energy Storage Laboratory, has stated that these activities will be carried out. The initiative aims to address various technological challenges, including the production, storage, distribution, and final uses of green hydrogen.
E-fuels are of particular interest in sectors where direct electrification is difficult to implement, such as aviation. E-kerosene, in particular, stands out due to its high energy density and the availability of a market and infrastructure.
However, for the most precise and current project-specific status, consulting Italian energy ministry releases or project consortium announcements directly related to Por Hydrogen would be necessary. Detailed project-specific pilot plant results and current implementation phases for Por Hydrogen were not located in the available data but are consistent with European research and demonstration efforts in e-fuels.
In conclusion, the e-kerosene production research and pilot testing in Italy, particularly within the Por Hydrogen initiative, is active and evolving, focused on green hydrogen-based synthetic fuel production for aviation CO2 reduction. This is part of the broader EU push for SAF scaling under mandates like ReFuelEU Aviation and growing market momentum for e-fuels technology.
- The Por Hydrogen project, funded by investment from the environmental-science and finance sectors, is focused on the science of climate-change, specifically the production of e-kerosene as a step towards decarbonizing the aviation industry.
- The project encompasses the design of a pilot plant for synthesizing e-kerosene, a renewable energy source, using green hydrogen generated via electrolysis powered by renewable energy and captured CO2.
- The aim is to optimize the production process, considering both the plant layout and operating conditions, in accordance with the European Union's commitment to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and the growth of the e-fuels market, which includes e-kerosene.
- The European Union is actively promoting SAFs, including e-kerosene, with a goal of scaling sustainable fuel supply from 2% in 2025 to 70% by 2050, creating opportunities for investments in the renewable-energy sector.
