Royal Commission, Nordic Electrofuel sign MOU to ramp up eSAF production in Saudi Arabia

Photo: Nordic Electrofuel

Nordic Electrofuel announced in December that, in collaboration with Jump, it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu aimed at fostering cooperation in the development of large-scale production of synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, using captured CO2 and green hydrogen.  

Nordic Electrofuel, a project developer and technology provider supported by the European Union ETS Innovation Fund, is currently developing several commercial facilities to produce eSAF in Norway focusing on conversion of CO2 and renewable power, the first of which being an eFuels pilot plant at Herøya Industry Park.  

Jump provides advice, funding and promotion for transformative initiatives and fosters a community of investors and entrepreneurs to scale innovative solutions.  

The vision for Jubail includes the eventual implementation of direct air capture (DAC) technology for CO2, enabling the marketing of a comprehensive carbon-neutral solution to the global aviation industry.  

DAC could facilitate a fully green circular industrial value chain with zero reliance on fossil fuels and no net emissions when the fuel is burned.  

According to Nordic Electrofuel, Jubail boasts perhaps the highest concentration of serviced industrial land globally, along with resources for PVC solar power, skilled labor, industrial colleges, infrastructure, community support and feedstock such as waste CO2 and future blue and green hydrogen.  

This unique combination positions the project for both financial and technical success, Nordic Electrofuel stated.  

Jubail is already a producer and exporter of conventional jet fuel, making it well-equipped to transition quickly and economically to green and blue jet fuel production.  

“The cooperation with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Jump for eFuel production in Jubail is a pivotal step in our journey towards global expansion and innovation leadership,” said Gunnar Holen, the CEO of Nordic Electrofuel. “Nordic Electrofuel is dedicated to leveraging this partnership to drive forward our mission of producing sustainable electrofuels. By combining our expertise with that of our partners, we aim to make significant strides in reducing carbon emissions and promoting clean energy alternatives. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring and are excited to work together towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.”  

The memorandum was officially signed Dec. 3 during the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities hosted by UNESCO in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.