Concrete Chemicals Advances Hydrogen Production with €350M e-SAF Plant in Schwedt

This month, Concrete Chemicals GmbH, a joint venture between ENERTRAG SE and Zaffra B.V., scored approval for €350 million in public funding under the EU’s CEEAG framework. That boost paves the way for Germany’s largest industrial-scale e-SAF plant in Schwedt, Brandenburg. They’ll blend biogenic CO₂ from LEIPA Georg Leinfelder GmbH with green hydrogen made on-site via electrolysis—leveraging Power-to-Liquid to crank out drop-in jet fuel and e-naphtha. Once fully up and running, the facility aims for 30,000 tonnes of synthetic aviation fuel and 7,000 tonnes of e-naphtha a year. The goal? Hit the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation blending targets while bolstering Europe’s sustainable energy and hydrogen infrastructure. It ties neatly into Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy and the EU’s push for a 55 % emissions cut by 2030 on the road to climate neutrality by 2050. If everything clicks, they reckon it could cover about 40 % of Germany’s synthetic fuel demand by 2030, according to their materials.

Key insights at a glance

• €350 million support from national, regional and pending EU Commission sign-off under CEEAG.
• Schwedt chosen for its industrial heritage and planned hydrogen infrastructure.
• Feedstocks: biogenic CO₂ from LEIPA and renewable hydrogen production at ENERTRAG sites.
• Annual targets: 30,000 tonnes of e-SAF, 7,000 tonnes of e-naphtha.
• Potential to avoid up to 100,000 tonnes of fossil CO₂ per year.
• Supports Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy, the EU’s climate goals and ReFuelEU Aviation.

Digging into the Power-to-Liquid process

At the heart of the facility lies the Power-to-Liquid (PtL) magic. On-site renewables power electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen—boosting local hydrogen production. That green hydrogen then teams up with concentrated CO₂ in a Fischer-Tropsch–style reactor, cooking up a mix of long-chain hydrocarbons. After a quick refining shuffle, you’ve got top-grade e-SAF and e-naphtha. By tapping CO₂ from recycled-paper veteran LEIPA Georg Leinfelder GmbH, the feedstock stays non-fossil, making every drop a true win for the climate.

Designed from the ground up for an easy hookup to Germany’s budding hydrogen infrastructure, the plant can feed any surplus green hydrogen into the emerging national grid. It’s a win-win for energy resilience and a blueprint for industrial decarbonization across hard-to-abate sectors.

Strategic financing and partnerships

The project locked in that €350 million public funding package with national and regional authorities on board, and now it’s waiting on the EU Commission’s final nod. Under the CEEAG, only clean-energy projects of common European interest make the cut, and Zaffra B.V. is steering the ship. CEO Jan Toschka calls it a game-changer for innovation, job creation and regional resilience.

ENERTRAG SE brings deep expertise in green hydrogen and wind-to-hydrogen plants, while Zaffra B.V. excels in project development and industrial decarbonization. CEO Dr. Gunar Hering sees Schwedt as a milestone in scaling up hydrogen production chains and driving down electrolyzer costs for future PtL projects. The target? A final investment decision by 2027 and production underway in time for the 2030 blending quotas under ReFuelEU Aviation.

Schwedt’s industrial backdrop

Schwedt, once anchored by the PCK Raffinerie oil refinery, has been shifting gears from fossil fuels to renewables since reunification. Its 30,000-strong community felt the pinch of deindustrialization, but the region’s pipeline networks and proposed hydrogen corridors keep it on the map. Brandenburg’s government has been all in on high-value manufacturing and clean-energy projects to give the local economy a fresh boost.

Choosing Schwedt lets the venture tap into homegrown skills, infrastructure and feedstock streams. Thanks to LEIPA, there’s a reliable trickle of biogenic CO₂, and ENERTRAG’s renewable energy sites in northeast Germany power the electrolyzers that kick off the PtL chain.

Environmental and economic returns

Swapping fossil kerosene for e-SAF could cut lifecycle CO₂ emissions by roughly 80 % per flight, assuming renewable power and biogenic CO₂. Concrete Chemicals estimates up to 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ avoidance every year—though these are their own figures. By 2030, the plant could cover about 40 % of Germany’s synthetic aviation fuel needs, their press materials suggest.

It’s not just about emissions cuts: this project could spark dozens of skilled jobs during construction and operation, plus indirect roles in maintenance, logistics and supply. The ambition is to use Schwedt as a blueprint for rolling out similar PtL plants across Europe—crucial if the EU is to hit its 55 % greenhouse-gas reduction target by 2030 and long-term climate-neutral goals.

On the industrial-decabonization front, tying into future hydrogen infrastructure diversifies offtake options for green hydrogen and underlines Europe’s push for energy sovereignty. Consistent regulatory support and grid readiness will be make-or-break for scaling PtL at gigawatt scale.

Bonus: e-naphtha isn’t just a byproduct. It’s a drop-in feedstock for the chemical industry, another path to ditch fossil inputs.

Policy alignment and replicability

The Schwedt project sits right where EU policy meets national strategy, tapping into the IPCEI hydrogen framework and Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy. Backing under CEEAG and the upcoming ReFuelEU Aviation rules creates a clear incentive for green hydrogen and hydrogen production. If Schwedt nails its timeline, other regions with existing refinery infrastructure—think Spain, France and Italy—could follow suit.

Those operators are already watching. Speeding up permitting, standardizing electrolyzer modules and securing grid connections are top priorities. Locking down offtake contracts and environmental approvals will be the real test. Pull it off, and it’ll prove that industrial-scale e-SAF production is both technically solid and commercially viable—unlocking the next wave of projects powering industrial decarbonization.

Looking forward

With planning in full swing, the partners aim to make a final investment decision by 2027 and start deliveries to the aviation sector by 2030. Concrete Chemicals and its backers are betting Schwedt will set the standard for safe, scalable, industrial-scale e-SAF production in Europe—showing how sustainable energy and hydrogen production can drive decarbonization in sectors that have long been tough to crack.