Saipem will design a commercial-scale synthetic fuels plant for Synhelion AG at RWE's Chemiepark Knapsack site in Hurth, Germany, under a new pre-FEED engineering contract. Synhelion, a maker of renewable synthetic fuels, awarded Saipem the work covering pre-Front-End Engineering Design, the stage that sets a plant's overall configuration before detailed design begins.
The facility is designed to produce about 30,000 tonnes a year of synthetic fuels that meet the EU's Renewable Energy Directive, mainly sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) alongside synthetic diesel and gasoline. The output is meant for aviation, shipping and road transport.
Saipem's pre-FEED package will bring together Synhelion's proprietary production technology, the chemical processes used to synthesize and upgrade the fuels, and the site infrastructure RWE is providing at Knapsack. The engineering work will form the technical basis for the plant's permitting process, the following FEED phase, and an eventual final investment decision.
Saipem said the award adds to its record in building complex industrial plants and sustainable fuel projects.
