Danish electrolyser firm Topsoe and UK-based Carbon Neutral Fuels are partnering to advance eSAF using solid oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC) technology.
Topsoe has been chosen to deliver 120MW green power for Carbon Neutral Fuels’ Project Starling in Workington, UK, marking the first commercial application of Topsoe’s SOEC technology for use in commercial SAF production.
The plant is expected to produce 25,000 metric tonnes of e-SAF per year. Construction is planned for 2028 with operations expected in 2031 pending final investment decision [FID].
The project was the largest e-fuels award of the UK Government’s third Advanced Fuels Fund granted in July 2025.
Sundus Cordelia Ramli, CCO, Power-to-X at Topsoe, said Carbon Neutral Fuels is at the frontier of the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions, delivering a significant SAF project using mature and diversified production technologies.
Alasdair Lumsden, Co-Founder at Carbon Neutral Fuels, added the levels of data and research backing the efficacy of their technologies “were instrumental” in building confidence in their product.
The electrolyser stacks for the project will be delivered from Topsoe’s SOEC manufacturing facility based in Herning, Denmark. First deliveries are expected in 2028 pending CNF reaching FID.
The Starling project is currently undergoing Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) stage.
Once fully operational, the facility is projected to achieve an 89% reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to fossil jet fuel, making a significant contribution to the UK’s climate targets.
Finnish technology company Liquid Sun recently launched what it claims is Europe’s first sustainable synthetic aviation fuel (eSAF) pilot plant in Espoo.
The European Commission has announced a €2.9bn investment for sustainable fuels by 2027.
How SAF will be funded has been a sticking point in establishing the nascent market’s framework. Competitive pricing isn’t just an aspiration for developing SAF but a precondition for scale, according to a new report.
The UK government has confirmed its revenue certainty mechanism for SAF will be funded through a levy on aviation fuel suppliers.