Amadeus, a leading travel technology company, has acquired a minority stake in CAPHENIA, a future producer of synthesis gas, the feedstock of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The German-based company has developed an innovative approach to produce SAF in a more affordable and scalable way. The decision is part of a wider commitment on behalf of Amadeus to support the industry on its journey toward sustainable travel.
The investment will offer Amadeus enhanced visibility into the challenges of the SAF sector, allowing the company to further explore the role it can play in this key element of the industry’s journey to net-zero by 2050.
CAPHENIA, currently in an advanced stage of development, has established an innovative approach to produce synthesis gas from a mixture of biogas, CO2, water and electricity. This can be used to produce a variety of renewable fuels, with up to a 92% reduction of CO2 emissions compared to the fossil reference value. The company has secured patent protection for its Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid (PBtL) process in all relevant core markets worldwide, with a total of 203 granted patents.
Dr. Mark Misselhorn, Chief Executive of CAPHENIA, said: “Our process is affordable – using one-sixth of the electricity needed for alternative SAF production methods – and scalable. We have an ambition to offer large scale production by 2028, aiming to fill the gap between anticipated SAF demand and current supply.”
According to the IATA Net Zero Emission initiative, SAF has the potential to account for 65% of the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions required for the aviation industry to reach net-zero by 2050. New technology is also a key component in contributing to the journey ahead, including electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft (13%), carbon offset and capture (19%) and operational efficiencies (3%).
