• Reactor with patented process for the production of renewable fuels successfully implemented.
• Production is set to begin in the first half of 2025.
• Pilot plant serves as a model for rapid global scaling.

Bernau am Chiemsee, Germany/Frankfurt am Main: August 22nd, 2024

The Bavarian clean-tech company CAPHENIA has successfully reached a significant milestone: The custom-built reactor with its unique Plasma-Boudouard technology (PBR) has been transported to the production site at the Frankfurt-Höchst industrial park, where it is now being integrated into the existing facility. With all components now on site, production of renewable synthetic fuels is set to begin next year, making a significant contribution towards achieving climate neutrality in entire industries and mobility sectors, such as aviation.

The completion of CAPHENIA’s production facility is a major milestone, following approximately 15 years of planning and research. Founded in 2012 under the name CCP Technology, the company has developed its own processes to convert electricity, biomethane, and CO₂ into renewable synthetic fuels, holding worldwide patents for this so-called Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid (PBtL) process.

With the transfer of the Plasma-Boudouard reactor, manufactured by MAN Energy Solutions in Deggendorf, Bavaria, the industrial facility GERMANY I in Frankfurt-Höchst welcomes its centerpiece, allowing for gradual activation.

“Today, we are on the final stretch of realizing our vision of renewable fuels for climate-neutral mobility. My special thanks go to all colleagues, shareholders, as well as the many service providers and companions, without whom our journey so far would not have been possible,” says Dr. Mark Misselhorn, CEO and founder of CAPHENIA.

GERMANY I is being developed in cooperation with renowned partners and is financially supported by the 7th Energy Research Program of the BMWi as well as the State of Hesse.

Innovation made in Germany:

By implementing the reactor within the pilot plant, GERMANY I is entering the final phase before operations commence at the end of the first half of 2025. The facility is expected to provide real-world operational data over the coming decades and produce around 500 tons of renewable synthetic fuels to optimize production for various mobility sectors, such as aviation.

The multi-zone reactor concept is unique: the process enables an especially energy-efficient conversion of electricity, biomethane, and CO₂ into synthesis gas, which is then transformed into various fuels, including kerosene and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), via the Fischer-Tropsch process. CAPHENIA’s technology features a very high efficiency, and the fuels produced can power existing engines and turbines, eliminating the need for costly adaptations or new infrastructure. Additionally, CAPHENIA’s Power-and-Biogas-to-Liquid process achieves a 92% reduction in CO₂ emissions, setting a new industrial benchmark.

“The GERMANY I pilot plant will provide us with the essential foundation and insights needed to scale up the production of renewable fuels,” says Dr. Mark Misselhorn.

“Our goal is to rapidly scale this field of business and tap into this immense and socially significant market worldwide with additional production facilities.”