Swiss and Kuehne+Nagel guarantee Synhelion purchase of solar kerosene

(CONNECT) Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) and the Zurich-based cleantech company Synhelion have signed a long-term purchase agreement for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This makes the airline the first in the world to use Synhelion's solar kerosene. It will purchase at least 200 tons of its SAF annually from 2027.

From 2027, Synhelion will be using solar energy to produce sustainable synthetic crude oil, known as Syncrude, at its first commercial plant in Jülich, Germany. This is refined into certified Jet A1 fuel in an existing refinery.

"The fact that Swiss, a leading airline, has opted for our fuels at an early stage shows its confidence in the market maturity of our technology," said Synhelion CEO and co-founder Philipp Furler in a press release issued by his company. "This partnership is a milestone for the commercial market entry of our fuels and a strong role model for other airlines worldwide."

In a press release issued by Swiss, CEO Jens Fehlinger describes the partnership with Synhelion as an important step towards decarbonizing its own flight operations. However, because sustainable aviation fuels are still scarce and expensive, Swiss needs strong partners such as Kuehne+Nagel. Swiss will therefore pass on part of the solar kerosene to the Schwyz logistics service provider. The latter will use it for transports with Swiss WorldCargo. "This enables us to offer our customers the opportunity to reduce their ecological footprint with this innovative technology," says Yngve Ruud, member of the Kuehne+Nagel Management Board and responsible for air freight logistics.

Swiss has been a strategic partner of Synhelion since 2020. The airline has also held a stake in Synhelion since 2022. In addition to Swiss and AMAG, the SMS Group, the Mexican cement group Cemex and the Italian oil company Eni are also shareholders in the company, which is based in Zurich and Lugano. ce/mm