Synhelion has been selected for funding under the “Produktives.NRW” program of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), supporting the construction of a commercial demonstration plant for renewable synthetic fuels at Brainergy Park in Jülich, Germany.
The program draws on around EUR 90 million in EU funding from the Just Transition Fund, which is being distributed across nine selected projects supporting industrial innovation in the Rhenish region and the northern Ruhr area.
Synhelion’s synthetic fuel plant is one of nine projects with market-ready solutions for sustainable key technologies selected in the fourth round of the Produktives.NRW funding program.
The selection supports Synhelion’s next scale-up step. The company plans to build a commercial demonstration plant in Jülich, Germany, building on the successful operation of its first plant, DAWN, and further scaling its fuel production technology.
While plant DAWN de-risked and validated Synhelion’s technology at industrial scale, the next plant will establish commercial operability and make the technology bankable. The majority of the plant’s output is already covered by binding long-term offtake agreements with major customers.
“Being selected under the Produktives.NRW program is a strong endorsement of our technology and commercialization strategy, and we are grateful to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for supporting our project,” says Philipp Furler, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion.
“By building our next plant in Jülich, we are strengthening Germany as an industrial location for renewable synthetic fuels and contributing to a more resilient, diversified, and less import-dependent energy supply in Europe.”
Renewable fuels made in Germany
Synhelion produces renewable synthetic fuels that can directly replace fossil fuels without requiring changes to existing engines or fuel infrastructure. Its portfolio includes sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable synthetic diesel, and renewable synthetic gasoline.
The fuels reduce net CO₂ emissions by up to 100% compared with fossil fuels and are aimed at sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation and long-distance transportation. The planned commercial demonstration plant in Jülich will represent the next milestone in scaling Synhelion’s technology from industrial demonstration to commercial production.
Supporting industrial innovation in North Rhine-Westphalia
The Produktives.NRW program implements the European Union’s Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) in NRW. It aims to reduce strategic dependencies, promote the development of technologies made in Europe, and strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of industry.
The program is part of the EFRE/JTF NRW 2021–2027 framework and supports strategic projects that strengthen innovation, competitiveness, and the transition toward a more sustainable economy. It is jointly run by NRW’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy and its Ministry of the Environment, Nature and Transport. By supporting Synhelion’s technology, NRW recognizes the potential of locally produced synthetic fuels to support transport defossilization and energy security.
Featured image credited to Synhelion
