Siemens And Caphenia Scaling up the Production of Synthetic Aviation Fuel

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Siemens and the cleantech company Caphenia have entered into a partnership to scale up the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

SAF is a synthetic kerosene made from renewable raw materials that can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil kerosene.

Caphenia's technology uses a plasma process to split bio-methane into synthesis gas at temperatures of around 2730 °F. Caphenia's Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR) is a globally unique 3-in-1 zone reactor that integrates three established chemical reactions in one system. The resulting synthesis gas can then be further processed into SAF, renewable diesel or chemical products—without by-products and with minimal energy losses.

A key advantage is that the heat released when the synthesis gas is cooled is used to preheat the incoming bio-methane. The result is a process efficiency of more than 86 percent. This means that significantly higher energy efficiency is possible than with conventional processes.

Digitization As the Key to Scaling

As part of the agreement, Siemens will become Caphenia's preferred supplier and technology partner, offering comprehensive solutions from its Siemens "Xcelerator" portfolio, including process control systems, drive technology, measurement technology and process simulation software. With the help of digital twins, it will be possible to optimize operating parameters even before physical commissioning and to manage processes consistently across different locations.

Siemens is supporting Caphenia from the pilot plant in Industriepark Höchst (Frankfurt, Germany) through to commercial scaling. The aim is to develop a standardized automation and digitalization template for Caphenia's PBR that is modularly scalable and can be adapted to different locations. This should accelerate the rollout of new systems in the coming years and significantly reduce the commissioning time.

"The decarbonization of aviation cannot be achieved without synthetic fuels. The demand for SAF is growing exponentially, but production capacities urgently need to be scaled up," says Christian Gückel, Head of Vertical Chemicals at Siemens Digital Industries. "This is exactly where we come in: With our solutions for digitalization and automation, we are making the Caphenia technology industrially reproducible and thus accelerating the global market ramp-up."

"This partnership shows how technology leaders are working together to drive forward the energy transition. Siemens has the portfolio and the expertise to standardize and digitalize our systems. But the real point is: the market for sustainable aviation fuels will not grow evenly—it will split up. Those who scale quickly, who are 'industrial-ready' and who have the right partners will lead. Together, we are not only creating the basis for the international ramp-up of our PBR technology—we want to lead it," says Dr. Mark Misselhorn, Founder and CEO of Caphenia.

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