To see the sustainable fuel plant for himself and to meet the scientists who developed the technology, Liepājas SEZ manager Uldis Hmieļevskis visited the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

The technology that is to be used in the SAF fuel plant project planned for the territory of the Port of Liepāja was developed by the Swedish company Swedish Biofuels AB, drawing on scientists from the Royal Institute of Technology and grant funding from the US military sector. The prototyping plant, in which fuel is obtained by combining carbon and hydrogen molecules, produces around 3,000 tonnes of sustainable fuel a year. It is located in Stockholm, on the grounds of the Institute of Technology, next door to lecture halls and laboratories. As stated on the company's website Swedish Biofuels AB, the technologies developed offer a viable alternative to fossil fuels, taking business, aviation, transport and industry to a new, more responsible and safer level.

Liepājas SEZ manager Uldis Hmieļevskis stresses that it is important to look closely into every project whose development is planned in Liepāja. “This kind of in-depth conversation with technology suppliers and investors makes it possible to assess the substance of a project from many angles — the economic benefits, safety, environmental impact and other aspects. For me personally this is a standard of scrutiny that, together with specialists from the municipality and the LSEZ, we apply to practically every major project, so that we can be sure the newly built factory will fit into the city and will not create any inconvenience or risks. That is why one section of the conversation dealt specifically with environmental and safety questions. The product itself — green fuel — is colourless and, before scenting agents are added, practically odourless, because no impurities enter the product during the production process.”

“Seeing both the fuel plant itself and the meticulous, painstaking approach with which the technology and the project documentation for other plants have been developed — everything is handled responsibly. Fuel production takes place literally in the room next to the lecture halls and the coffee room; there is no noise, no smell, no smoke — many questions are answered at the root. Why is such fuel needed? Aviation is one of the world's largest CO₂ emitters, and Europe has set a target of using green SAF fuel for 65% of flights by 2050. For Liepāja, meanwhile, this is a chance to become a centre of the industries of the future, to create new jobs, to open up a field of research for scientists at the RTU Liepāja Academy, and to give other companies the opportunity to develop the next technologies,” says Liepājas SEZ manager Uldis Hmieļevskis.

The SAF plant in the Port of Liepāja is to be built by the company LSEZ SIA NorSAF. For the manufacture and installation of the developed technologies and equipment worldwide, one of the largest US energy technology companies, “KBR”, has been brought on board, with a turnover of more than 6 billion dollars and experience in the space, energy and military industries.