Long-Term Commitment to Synhelion’s Technology Aims to Decarbonize Air Freight Operations Starting in 2027
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), its airfreight division Swiss WorldCargo, and the global logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance sustainable air transportation. The partnership centers on the commercialization of synthetic aviation fuel (SAF) developed by the Swiss clean-tech company Synhelion, providing a critical foundation for scaling up carbon-neutral fuel production.
The collaboration involves a long-term commitment to procure solar-derived SAF, a move that offers Synhelion the planning certainty required to expand its manufacturing capabilities. Under the agreement, SWISS will purchase at least 200 tonnes of Synhelion’s synthetic fuel annually over a five-year period. A portion of this supply will be resold to Kuehne+Nagel, enabling the logistics giant to reduce the environmental footprint of its cargo shipments handled by Swiss WorldCargo.
Advancing Market Viability for Synthetic Fuels
The initiative addresses the current market challenges of SAF, which remains expensive and in limited supply. By establishing a guaranteed offtake framework, the partners aim to make synthetic fuel technologies more economically viable for the broader aviation industry.
Jens Fehlinger, CEO of SWISS, emphasized that sustainable fuels are a core element of the airline’s strategy to reach carbon neutrality. He noted that the partnership allows for the first commercial supplies of Synhelion’s synthetic fuel, marking a major step in the airline’s role in decarbonizing flight operations.
Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board at Kuehne+Nagel, highlighted that scaling the production of synthetic SAF is essential for meeting climate targets. The partnership allows Kuehne+Nagel to take a lead in accelerating these technologies, providing customers with tangible solutions to reduce their supply chain emissions.
Innovative Solar-to-Liquid Technology
Synhelion’s proprietary technology utilizes concentrated solar heat to drive thermochemical processes that convert water and carbon dioxide into syngas. This gas is then refined into Jet-A-1 fuel, which serves as a “drop-in” replacement for conventional kerosene. Because the synthetic fuel is fully compatible with existing aircraft engines and airport infrastructure, it requires no technical modifications to be integrated into current logistics chains.
Operational highlights of the partnership include:
- Timeline: The five-year offtake agreement is set to begin in 2027.
- Infrastructure: Fuel will be delivered through standard logistics systems after being refined into certified jet fuel.
- Sustainability Goals: The project supports SWISS’s objective to halve its 2019 net carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero status by 2050.
The agreement follows a successful milestone in July 2025, when SWISS became the first airline in the world to use solar fuel from Synhelion’s DAWN plant in regular flight operations. This latest expansion of the partnership signals a continued effort by Swiss industry leaders to spearhead the transition toward a more sustainable global logistics ecosystem.
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