Galetech signs sustainable aviation fuel technology deal

Green energy group Galetech is moving to produce sustainable aviation fuel through a partnership with a major Dutch player in the market.

The Co Cavan-based company, which works on wind, solar and electricity storage projects in Ireland and abroad, last year pledged to invest in developing a synthetic fuels business.

Galetech has signed a partnership with Dutch group Skytree to use its technology to produce e-fuels, which can be used in aviation, shipping and heavy goods transport.

E-fuels are alternatives to oil that are produced using green electricity, carbon dioxide and water.

The carbon-neutral products can be used in existing engines, offering a potential solution to aviation and shipping, which are challenging to electrify, Galetech said on Tuesday.

Under the deal’s terms, Galetech will use Skytree’s systems for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to use in the fuels.

The company will deploy its Dutch partner’s direct air capture technology, which extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, in its renewable energy businesses in Ireland and Kenya, according to a statement.

Skytree originally developed its technology for the European Space Agency.

Last year, Galetech announced plans to build a pilot e-fuels research and production facility at its Edrans wind farm in Cootehill, Co Cavan, which will produce 100 per cent renewable, synthetic alternatives to petrol, diesel and kerosene.

The Irish company launched a dedicated e-fuels brand and hired staff to grow its new business division.

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Galetech’s director of e-fuels, Michael Bermingham, dubbed the Skytree deal a milestone for the company that would allow it begin production cost-effectively.

Skytree’s technology will allow Galetech “develop a truly reliable and sustainable supply chain for renewable fuels”, he said.

Bermingham added that the fuels would be a critical resource for airlines and shipping and transport companies seeking to cut their dependence on fossil fuels.

Skytree’s vice-president, project development, Peter van Hooft, noted that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be turned into a valuable ingredient for fuel, rather than “a problem we leave behind”.

“By capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide right where clean energy is generated, we can supply predictable, scalable carbon feedstock at the cost required to make synthetic fuels a commercial reality worldwide,” he said.

Galetech began working on the development of hydrogen storage and e-fuels last year. It believes airlines will be a key market for these products as the European Union increases the requirement for commercial aircraft to use sustainable aviation fuel.