Axens launches France’s first industrial scale SAF unit

Axens has announced the launch of the ERA project (Ethanol to Refuel Aviation), France’s first industrial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production unit based on advanced bioethanol. With a planned capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, the facility — currently in the process of site selection in France — is expected to start operations in 2030.

The ERA project further strengthens Axens’ industrial commitment to the transition toward low-carbon mobility, alongside the NACRE project (an advanced bioethanol production facility at the Lacq site, which has obtained its construction permit).

The growing demand for SAF from the aviation sector requires the expansion of production beyond current SAF pathways based on used cooking oils and animal fats (the so-called HEFA route). The ERA project will help meet this need by broadening access to new SAF sources derived from biomass residues, representing an important step toward strengthening the energy sovereignty of French and European air transport.

Currently in the engineering phase, the project will be carried out by a dedicated project company named SAFIRIS and is targeted to begin production in 2030.

It will leverage the Jetanol® technology developed by Axens and IFPEN, which has been proven in various petrochemical applications and optimised to maximise SAF yields.

The facility’s capacity has been set at 50,000 tonnes per year of SAF production, using advanced ethanol sourced from European feedstocks