CAPHENIA produces E-fuels in Lower Saxony

The course has been set for the installation of Germany’s first commercial production facility for the generation of synthetic fuels: On July 2, the Lower Saxony hydrogen initiative kicked off with Volker Schober (Avacon Natur), Dr. Klaus Puell (Oxxynova), state parliament member Dr. Frank Schmädeke, Dr. Mark Misselhorn (CAPHENIA), Dinah Stollwerck-Bauer (Regional Land Development Leine-Weser), Dr. Lorenz Kiene (Lühmann), Maike Bielfeldt (Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Steyerberg’s mayor Heinz-Jürgen Weber and district administrator Detlev Kohlmeier.

CAPHENIA will produce climate-neutral fuels in cooperation with Oxxynova GmbH, Avacon Natur GmbH and Lühmann GmbH on the company premises of Oxxynova in Steyerberg with the “EnZaH2” project. Based on the partnership between Oxxynova and Biogas Steyerberg GmbH, CAPHENIA will play a key role in this: The biogas produced will no longer be used exclusively to generate electricity and heat, but will be converted into renewable fuels using CAPHENIA technology in the power-and-biogas-to-liquid (PBtL) process. These can be used directly and CO2-neutrally for Oxxynova’s rail transport, among other things.

CAPHENIA qualifies as an ideal project partner due to its unique selling proposition of significantly higher efficiency combined with an extremely low CO2 footprint compared to other processes. By using locally generated renewable electricity, CAPHENIA’s e-fuels are produced under the seal of climate neutrality. The already existing infrastructure of the existing industrial and commercial area “Am Hasenberge” enables the efficient use of expertise and direct synergy effects. Even by-products, such as heat and waste water, become usable: the local district heating network is a possible recycler.

With this pioneering project, the planning for the first industrial plant is thus already being concretized during the CAPHENIA project phase and the start of construction in 2022 at the Frankfurt-Höchst site. In a first stage, 3-4 million liters of CO2-neutral fuels are to be produced in Steyerberg together with the partners. The project is a further important step toward scaling up the potential for producing climate-neutral synthetic fuels to 10-15 million metric tons per year in Germany alone via this sustainable, cost-effective technology route.