Shell plans to produce SAF in Köln, Germany, by late 2025

Shell announced in late February that it intends to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Wesseling section of its Rhineland refinery in Köln, Germany. The company said it plans to set up a commercial Bio-power-to-liquid (PTL) plant to produce synthetic kerosene and naphtha.

“In addition, the capacity of the PEM hydrogen electrolysis system, which Shell is currently completing in the Wesseling section together with ITM Power, is to be increased tenfold from the current 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts,” Shell stated.

Construction on the hydrogen electrolysis system could begin in 2022, with the PTL plant build slated to begin in 2023 with commissioning targeted for late 2025. The scale of the project is initially expected to be around 100,000 tons per year.

“The Rhineland refinery is the engine and heart of Shell’s activities in Germany and will play a key role in providing the products that are increasingly different from our current crude oil-dominated range, and which will increasingly convert to regenerative solutions such as synthetic and biofuels as well as green hydrogen,” said Marco Richrath, refinery director.

In addition to green electricity, wood residues are to be used as biomass for production, according to Shell.

“We will only be able to maintain mobility in the future if it is made more sustainable and road users can significantly reduce emissions on the road, on water and in the air,” said Fabian Ziegler, CEO Shell Deutschland Oil. “To make this possible, the product portfolio of the location will and must change significantly.”

Funding for both projects is being sought from the EU and Germany. A final investment decision is pending.