France-headed Lhyfe, a pioneer in the production of green and renewable hydrogen, and Canada-headed SAF+ International Group (SAF+), a world leader in the production and marketing of electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce eSAF from green and renewable hydrogen to decarbonize the aviation industry.
According to a statement, the two companies wish to combine their expertise to develop the production of eSAF from green and renewable hydrogen, at a production site located in the Le Havre area in France.
This is the first announcement of its kind for Lhyfe.
SAF+ brings together a coalition of leading international players from across the aviation value chain amassing cutting-edge technical expertise to provide eSAF solutions and help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation industry, using available raw materials and renewable energies as per international and European regulations such as CORSIA and RefuelEU Aviation.
In July 2023, the company announced the signature of a memorandum of understanding with the Air France-KLM Group for the supply of second-generation e-SAF fuel, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2030.
Possible eSAF plant in Le Havre
Lhyfe produces green and renewable hydrogen through the electrolysis of water, at production units powered by renewable energy.
The company’s first site has already been operational since the second half of 2021, and two further sites in France were inaugurated in December 2023.
Several other sites are currently under construction or extension across Europe.
As part of this MoU, Lhyfe and SAF+ plan to assess the potential for developing e-SAF production in the Le Havre area and to sign a co-development agreement.
The partners are aiming for a facility in the port region of Le Havre, where Lhyfe would build a green hydrogen production site with a capacity of more than 100 tonnes per day (300 MW of installed electrolysis capacity) to supply an eSAF production site that SAF+ is planning to build.
This industrial complex would be connected to the hydrocarbon transport network to transport the eSAF obtained from Le Havre to airports in the Paris region, as well as in northern and eastern France via the existing infrastructure.
This agreement between Lhyfe and SAF+ shows our shareholders and stakeholders that our European strategy is well on track. Demand for SAF in the coming years will be exponential, so we now need to be able to demonstrate that viable solutions will be put in place in the short term. The partnership signed today between two leaders like Lhyfe and SAF+ is proof that we can achieve these objectives, explained Jean Paquin, CEO at SAF+.
The two partners are aiming for a market launch by 2030, to align with market expectations and the zero-emission targets set for 2050.
Through this ambitious agreement with SAF+, we are demonstrating our determination to help decarbonize not only industry and road transport but also air transport, which in 2020 accounted for 2.9 percent of global CO2 emissions. Green and renewable hydrogen is now a mature solution that has established itself as one of the pillars of decarbonization. It can and must now be deployed as quickly as possible, including in the aviation industry, said Matthieu Guesné, Founder and CEO of Lhyfe.
