Zurich-based cleantech company Synhelion has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Morocco for the development of a large-scale commercial synthetic fuel plant in the north African country.
The $ 1 billion facility will be located in Morocco’s southern Tan-Tan province and will have an annual capacity of 100,000 tons of renewable fuel. The Swiss Sun-to-Liquid technology developer has already reserved land for the plant and set up a branch in Morocco.
The company says the location is promising due to its renewable energy resources and good conditions for creating a renewable fuel value chain.
“Morocco’s exceptional renewable energy resources and its clear industrial strategy make it an ideal location for scaling our synthetic fuel technology,” said Gianluca Ambrosetti, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion.
“This MoU reflects Morocco’s ambition to attract high-impact investments that combine innovation, sustainability and industrial development,” said Minister of Investment Karim Zidane.
The company is developing technology to produce renewable synthetic drop-in fuels for aviation, road and marine transportation. The process uses high-temperature heat generated from renewable electricity to convert biomethane, CO2 and water into syngas, which is subsequently refined into renewable jet fuel, diesel and gasoline. An integrated thermal energy storage allows continuous fuel production.