Axens has announced the launch of the ERA project, an initiative to develop France's first industrial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility using advanced bioethanol. The project is expected to support France's low-carbon transportation goals while strengthening domestic fuel production and industrial manufacturing.
The planned facility will have the capacity to produce 50,000 metric tons of SAF annually. The site is currently being selected in France, and commercial operations are expected to begin in 2030.
The ERA project marks the latest step in Axens' strategy to expand its portfolio of energy transition technologies. It complements the company's NACRE project, an advanced bioethanol production facility at Lacq that has received its construction permit, and the MACARON battery materials production project in Valenciennes, where a construction permit application has been submitted.
The project comes as demand for SAF continues to increase across the aviation industry. Current production relies heavily on hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids derived from used cooking oil and animal fats. Axens said the ERA project will diversify available feedstocks by producing SAF from advanced ethanol made from biomass residues, helping expand fuel supply while supporting the energy security of France and Europe.
The project is currently in the engineering phase and will be developed through a dedicated project company known as SAFIRIS.
The facility will use Jetanol technology developed by Axens and IFP Energies nouvelles. The technology has been demonstrated in petrochemical applications and has been optimized to maximize sustainable aviation fuel production.
According to Axens, the plant will use advanced ethanol produced from European feedstocks to manufacture up to 50,000 metric tons of SAF each year.
Source: Axens, "Axens launches France's first industrial-scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) unit based on advanced bioethanol using Jetanol technology"