Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche and Brandenburg’s Minister-President Dietmar Woidke today officially presented the grant award letter for the “Brandenburg eSAF” project in Schwedt, marking the project’s most significant milestone to date. The federal government and the state of Brandenburg are providing a total of €350 million in funding for the project. At the PCK refinery, ENERTRAG and ZAFFRA are building Germany’s largest industrial-scale production facility for sustainable aviation fuels (Electric Sustainable Aviation Fuels – eSAF). The project will operate under the name “Brandenburg eSAF” (previously “Concrete Chemicals”).

The facility, developed by renewable energy company ENERTRAG and e-SAF specialist ZAFFRA, a joint venture between Danish clean energy technology firm Topsoe and South African chemicals and energy group Sasol, represents a total investment of more than €500 million. It is among the most advanced PtL projects in Europe and is designed to cover approximately 25% of Germany’s national eSAF blending obligation under the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation.

Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs:

“What matters now is to permanently stabilise the energy supply at PCK and in the region, to strengthen growth potential in a targeted way, and to stimulate new investment. The 'Brandenburg eSAF' project we are funding is a central pillar of this effort: it combines industrial strength with innovation, opens up new value chains, and creates long-term prospects for employment, prosperity, and energy security."

Dr Dietmar Woidke, Minister-President of Brandenburg:

“Brandenburg has ideal conditions for the implementation of this forward-looking project. Brandenburg was, is, and will remain a pioneer in new propulsion technologies, including in aviation.”

Martina Klement, Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy for Brandenburg:

“With the Brandenburg eSAF project, we are making a decisive investment in the future of our industrial heartland at exactly the right time. This sends a powerful signal for technological sovereignty, climate protection, and resilient industrial value creation in Germany. The State of Brandenburg and the federal government stand firmly behind the Schwedt site. Together, we are demonstrating that the transition to green industry cannot succeed by working against existing industrial regions — only by working with them.”

Dr Gunar Hering, CEO of ENERTRAG:

“Brandenburg eSAF brings together what belongs together: renewable energy from the region, Schwedt’s industrial heritage, and clear political commitment from federal and state governments. The result is a fuel that makes aviation climate-neutral and secures skilled jobs in the Uckermark region.”

Jan Toschka, CEO of ZAFFRA:

“With today’s funding award, Germany is sending a clear signal: sustainable aviation fuels at industrial scale have a firm timeline and a concrete location. ZAFFRA provides the technology, ENERTRAG the renewable energy, and Schwedt the infrastructure. Together, we are creating a blueprint for the European eSAF industry here.”

Antonio Bellante, CEO of the LEIPA Group:

“The Brandenburg eSAF project demonstrates how industrial circular economy, renewable energies, and modern production technologies can work together. In collaboration with ENERTRAG and ZAFFRA, a forward-looking industrial project is taking shape in Schwedt, in which LEIPA contributes biogenic CO₂ from sustainable paper manufacturing into a new value chain.”

A quarter of Germany’s eSAF demand from 2030

Brandenburg eSAF will produce more than 30,000 tonnes of eSAF annually from 2030 at the PCK refinery in Schwedt. The plant uses green hydrogen produced via electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, combined with biogenic CO₂. These feedstocks are converted into eSAF through Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The resulting fuel delivers lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions of more than 90% compared to conventional kerosene and is ASTM-certified for immediate use in existing aircraft. The facility will account for roughly a quarter of Germany’s national share of the 2030 ReFuelEU Aviation mandate, which foresees rising levels of eSAF to be supplied at European airports.

The €350 million grant is split between the German federal government (€245 million) and the state of Brandenburg (€104 million) and constitutes the largest public funding award in Europe for a Power-to-Liquid project to date.

Energy sovereignty and local value creation

Beyond its climate contribution, Brandenburg eSAF directly addresses European energy security by reducing aviation’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. By processing locally generated renewable electricity into liquid fuel on-site, the project strengthens domestic energy supply chains a priority that has gained renewed urgency given recent geopolitical instability.

The facility will create approximately 150 permanent skilled jobs at the Schwedt site and up to 1,500 construction-phase jobs in the wider region, reinforcing the PCK Refinery’s role as an anchor of the local industrial economy as it transitions to a low-carbon model.

Technology and partners

ZAFFRA, a joint venture between Topsoe and Sasol, is contributing its innovative G2L eFuels platform, which combines Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with Topsoe’s eREACT technology.

ENERTRAG is contributing its expertise in renewable energies for hydrogen electrolysis. The required CO₂ is supplied by LEIPA Georg Leinfelder, a paper manufacturer based in Schwedt. The green hydrogen is largely sourced via the H₂ core network (Gascade’s FLOW pipeline). This gives the project future scalability. An additional on-site electrolysis plant supplements the hydrogen supply.

A Final Investment Decision (FID) is targeted for the end of 2027. Engineering studies are currently underway, led by the Griesemann Group, following their appointment in April 2026. Production is scheduled to begin in 2030.