Metafuels wins €1.92M Dutch grant to advance its Rotterdam e-SAF plant
The Swiss startup’s Turbe project at the Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam will be the first commercial deployment of its aerobrew methanol-to-jet technology, and a blueprint for large-scale e-SAF production across Europe. Metafuels, the Swiss aviation technology company developing synthetic sustainable aviation fuel, has been awarded €1.92 million in grant funding from the […] This story continues at The Next Web
The Swiss startup’s Turbe project at the Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam will be the first commercial deployment of its aerobrew methanol-to-jet technology, and a blueprint for large-scale e-SAF production across Europe.
Metafuels, the Swiss aviation technology company developing synthetic sustainable aviation fuel, has been awarded €1.92 million in grant funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency under its TSE Industry Studies, Hydrogen & Green Chemistry programme (GroenvermogenNL).
The grant goes to Metafuels’ Dutch subsidiary, Metafuels Nederland B.V., to advance the development of the Turbe project, the company’s first commercial e-SAF facility, located at the Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam.
The funding covers front-end engineering and design (FEED), permitting and consents, and commercial preparation ahead of a final investment decision (FID) targeted for mid-2026.
Metafuels’ core technology, aerobrew, converts renewable methanol into drop-in jet fuel using a methanol-to-jet process the company says delivers up to 90% lower lifecycle emissions than conventional kerosene, with no modifications required to existing aircraft or airport infrastructure.
FEED on the Turbe project was awarded to engineering and construction firm McDermott in December 2025. Turbe is designed to initially produce 12,000 litres of e-SAF per day, with a second phase planned to increase production tenfold to 120,000 litres per day.
Production is targeted from 2030, aligned with the point at which EU ReFuelEU Aviation synthetic fuel sub-mandates begin.
The Rotterdam location is not incidental. The Port of Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and the Evos terminal is a dedicated multimodal methanol hub, the largest ethanol storage provider on the continent — giving
Metafuels access to the renewable methanol supply chain, logistics infrastructure, and industrial expertise it needs to make the project viable. The Turbe facility is intended as a blueprint for subsequent large-scale e-SAF plants.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency grant supports the project development phase ahead of the investment decision; it does not fund construction.
Metafuels has now raised over $46 million in total, including a $24 million round led by UVC Partners announced in February 2026 (with Energy Impact Partners, Contrarian Ventures, RockCreek, Verve Ventures, and Fortescue Ventures), a $5 million grant from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, and prior equity rounds.
The company is headquartered in Zurich and led by CEO Saurabh Kapoor. Metafuels also has a planned facility in Denmark (Pizol) and is preparing a demonstration plant at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.
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