Elyse Energy selects thyssenkrupp tech for SAF project
French low-carbon molecules producer Elyse Energy along with its partners Axens, Avril and IFPEN, announced collaboration with thyssenkrupp for its BioTfuel technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from end-of-life wood waste & local forestry residues with the addition of green hydrogen.
“After thoroughly examining the available and bankable technologies, we are now more convinced than ever that we have made the right choice for our project with the E-BioTfueL concept and the technology partners involved to provide cost-competitive SAF and naphtha to the market by 2030 and contribute to address climate change,” said Pascal Penicaud, chief executive officer of Elyse Energy.
Elsye’s SAF project called BioTJet will supply SAF to reduce carbon intensity in air transport, and e-bio-naphtha for road transport and bio-sourced chemistry from 2029 onwards.
“We are proud to see how the E-BioTfueL concept – which includes our advanced PRENFLO technology – has now turned into a first commercial biomass-to-SAF application in the European Community. The collaboration with our French partners underscores our commitment to driving the green transformation and delivering sustainable value to our customers and stakeholders,” said Nadja Håkansson, CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde.
Axens signed a license agreement for BioTfueL® technology in 2024, which includes a PRENFLO® gasification technology from thyssenkrupp Uhde, GASEL technology from Axens (Fischer-Tropsch and Upgrading) with a basic engineering completed in November 2024 and currently being within the detail engineering phase.
Elyse said the technology brings proven process building blocks which have been developed and tested in a semi-industrial plant from 2010 to 2021 by the Bionext consortium consisting of Avril, Axens, CEA, IFP Energies nouvelles, Total Energies and thyssenkrupp Uhde.
The BioTJet project aims at building and operating France’s first e-biofuel commercial plant for the aviation sector. The project aims to produce advanced biokerosene from biomass consisting of residues mainly from local forestry resources and end-of-life wood waste. It combines biomass production with low-carbon hydrogen injection to optimise the biomass-to-fuel yield.
The BioTJet project company was officially structured in December 2022. Five shareholders confirmed their participation in the Board of directors: Elyse Energy, Avril, Axens, Bionext and IFP Investissements (investment subsidiary of IFP Energies Nouvelles). At the end of this transaction, Elyse Energy will hold more than two-thirds of the capital, the main partners Avril, Axens and IFPI sharing the balance evenly.