SWISS airplanes will fly using non-carbon fuel made from concentrated sunlight

SWISS and the Lufthansa Group have concluded a strategic collaboration with Synhelion to bring its solar aviation fuel to market. This will make SWISS the first airline in the world to use ‘sun-to-liquid’ fuel, made from a process that uses concentrated sunlight to produce carbon-neutral kerosene. This will make SWISS the first airline in the world to use solar kerosene. The unique procedure uses concentrated solar heat to manufacture syngas which is then synthesized into kerosene using standard industrial processes. This sun-to-liquid fuel closes the fuel carbon cycle: when combusted, it only produces as much CO2 as went into its manufacture. Synhelion will build the world’s first-ever facility for the industrial production of solar fuel in Jülich (Germany) this year. SWISS is set to become the first customer for the solar kerosene in 2023. Under the collaboration now concluded, SWISS and the Lufthansa Group will support the development of Synhelion’s planned commercial fuel production facility in Spain, too.