Amadeus Invests in SAF Production Sector

Amadeus is investing in a German company that aims to produce more efficiently a key component of synthetic aviation fuel, the company announced.

The travel technology company has taken a minority stake in Caphenia, which has developed a method of producing synthesis gas—the feedstock of sustainable aviation fuel—from a mixture of biogas, carbon dioxide, water and electricity. Caphenia expects to have “large scale production” by 2028, which will help SAF production keep up with anticipated demand, according to Caphenia chief executive Mark Misselhorn.

“Our process is affordable, using one-sixth of the electricity needed for alternative SAF production methods, and scalable,” Misselhorn said in a statement. “The technology of cost-effective, producible SAF means the greatest potential for CO2 savings and an important element that, in combination with others, may help in meeting net zero targets.”

SAF production remains significantly less than what is needed for the aviation industry to meet the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to the International Air Transport Association. To meet that goal—which requires a 65 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emission—the industry needs 449 billion liters of SAF to be produced each year, and IATA estimates production reached about 300 million liters in 2022, a fraction of a percentage of what is needed.

Caphenia, which plans to begin production next year, estimates it will enable 10 million liters of SAF production in 2027, increasing to more than 100 million liters by 2030 and more than a billion liters before 2035.

Amadeus in its announcement did not disclose the amount or percentage stake of its investment. Caphenia is Amadeus’ first investment outside of the software space, though not its first in the sustainability sector; it is among the investors in carbon data reporting and management platform Chooose.

“The transaction represents a step forward in our sustainability strategy, taking the perspective from a different part of the value chain in the industry,” Amadeus head of ventures Suzanna Chiu said in a statement. “As the industry moves toward its goal of reaching net zero by 2050, we are taking concrete steps to accelerate the process.”