Swiss SAF pioneer wins €1.92M grant for Rotterdam fuel plant

Metafuels, a Swiss aviation technology company, has been awarded a €1.92 million grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) to accelerate construction of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in the Port of Rotterdam. The company has developed groundbreaking technology to convert green methanol into a direct replacement for jet fuel, offering a scalable pathway to reducing aviation's carbon footprint.

Metafuels, established in 2021, is at the forefront of SAF technology. Their approach promises up to 90% lower lifecycle emissions compared to traditional fossil kerosene.

The recent grant was awarded to Metafuels Nederland B.V., the company's Dutch subsidiary, under the GroenvermogenNL program. This funding will specifically support project development activities through to the final investment decision (FID) for Metafuels' Turbe project.

Saurabh Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer of Metafuels, said: “Securing this support from RVO is a strong validation of both our technology and our approach to scaling e-SAF production, and the merits of the Turbe project. Rotterdam is one of Europe’s most important energy and industrial hubs and an ideal location for delivering large-scale synthetic fuel projects. This grant enables us to accelerate Turbe towards FID and make commercial e-SAF production in Europe a reality.”

Metafuels' Turbe SAF plant

The Turbe project, located at the storage solutions Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam, aims to begin commercial production in 2030. This timeline aligns with the introduction of e-SAF sub-mandates under the EU's ReFuelEU Aviation initiative. Metafuels is developing the Turbe project in collaboration with Evos, initially targeting a production capacity of 12,000 liters per day, with plans to scale up to 120,000 liters per day. The project will be the first commercial deployment of Metafuels' aerobrew technology.

Metafuels' proprietary aerobrew technology converts green methanol into SAF. Green methanol is produced from green hydrogen and renewable carbon dioxide. The process utilizes green hydrogen generated from water electrolysis, the process of splitting water with electricity, powered by renewable power. Carbon dioxide can be captured directly from the atmosphere or from biogenic sources. According to Metafuels, aerobrew's scalability, high efficiency, and integrated design allow for competitive SAF pricing.

The Port of Rotterdam, according to Metafuels, is an ideal location for the Turbe project due to its status as a major energy and industrial hub in Europe. The port's existing infrastructure, including methanol storage facilities like Liquin's terminal with a capacity of approximately 250,000-300,000 cubic meters, supports Metafuels' operations.

Metafuels keeps growing

In addition to the Dutch government grant, Metafuels has achieved several significant milestones, including a €20.7 million funding round led by UVC Partners earlier in 2026. The company is also preparing to operate its methanol-to-jet demonstration plant at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. Metafuels' expansion includes development activities in the Netherlands and Denmark, reinforcing its commitment to advancing sustainable aviation fuel production across Europe.