Freedom and mobility are critical aspects of our open societies and preserving these achievements for the future requires a rapid transition to carbon-neutral aviation. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) have emerged as a key solution to this challenge. Against the backdrop of increasing SAF market shares, the development of efficient catalysts for SAF production has become essential. A recent webinar, held on 22 June, highlighted the ground-breaking CARE-O-SENE research project, which focuses on optimising catalysts for the production of SAF.

Please find the link to the webinar and presentation here.

During the webinar, two distinguished experts and the co-leads of the project, Dr Tobias Sontheimer, Head of the Strategy Department for Energy and Information at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, and Dr Dirk Schär, Technical Manager Marketing and Sales Catalysts at Sasol Germany GmbH, shared their insights into the three-year, €40 million CARE-O-SENE project.

Dr Sontheimer emphasised the importance of accelerating innovation through collaboration between industry and the public sector. Highlighting the exceptional capabilities of the project partners, he said, "By combining the expertise and resources of Sasol, HZB, KIT, UCT, IKTS and INERATEC we are ushering in a new era of sustainable aviation with a focus on catalyst research".

Dr Schär explained the progress being made through CARE-O-SENE. "Our goal is to develop a new kind of more efficient catalysts that maximise kerosene yields in the SAF production process," he explained. "In doing so, we will overcome one of the key barriers to scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production."

As the aviation industry increasingly embraces SAF to reduce its carbon footprint, catalyst optimisation is essential to ensure efficient and cost-effective production. The CARE-O-SENE project's collaborative approach and focus on catalyst research has positioned it at the forefront of the sustainable aviation fuel revolution.

The webinar provided participants with valuable insights into the CARE-O-SENE project. Through the combined efforts of its partners and leading research institutions, the project aims to transform the aviation sector by providing a commercially viable and sustainable alternative to traditional kerosene-based fuels.

As the world grapples with the urgent need to combat climate change, the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels is becoming increasingly important. The CARE-O-SENE project's commitment to advancing catalyst research is an important step towards achieving carbon-neutral aviation and preserving mobility that is fundamental to our societies.