Siemens Supports Global Rollout of CAPHENIA Plasma Technology for Large Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production

Siemens and CAPHENIA sign the partnership agreement. From left to right: Nicky Ahnert, Jürgen Giegerich, Frank Knauf (all Siemens), Dr. Mark Misselhorn, Dr. Andreas Waibel (both CAPHENIA)

(IN BRIEF) Siemens and CAPHENIA have formed a partnership to accelerate the industrial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel by scaling CAPHENIA’s plasma-based technology that converts biomethane into synthesis gas. Siemens will act as preferred automation and digitalization partner, providing solutions from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to support the transition from pilot operations to commercial deployment. The collaboration includes development of standardized automation systems and digital twins to enable rapid rollout of production facilities worldwide. The technology can produce SAF with significantly reduced carbon emissions compared with fossil fuels and is designed for high energy efficiency. The partnership supports growing demand for sustainable aviation fuels as regulatory requirements and decarbonization targets drive expansion of the sector.

(PRESS RELEASE) NUREMBERG, 25-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Siemens has entered into a strategic partnership with cleantech company CAPHENIA to accelerate the industrial-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Under the agreement, Siemens will serve as CAPHENIA’s preferred partner for automation and digitalization, supporting the development and global deployment of SAF production facilities based on CAPHENIA’s plasma-based technology.

The collaboration aims to advance CAPHENIA’s technology from pilot-stage operations to full commercial production. Siemens will provide solutions from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, including automation systems, process control technology, drive and measurement equipment, and advanced simulation tools. The partnership is intended to establish a standardized digital and automation framework that will allow SAF production plants to be deployed efficiently across multiple locations worldwide.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is produced from renewable feedstocks and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 80 percent compared with conventional aviation fuel. The partnership focuses on scaling CAPHENIA’s proprietary plasma technology, which converts biomethane into synthesis gas that can be further processed into SAF, renewable diesel, or chemical products.

CAPHENIA’s plasma Boudouard reactor in the Frankfurt-Höchst industrial park

CAPHENIA’s Plasma Boudouard Reactor integrates multiple chemical reactions within a single system and operates at temperatures of approximately 1,500 degrees Celsius. The process converts biomethane into synthesis gas without producing unwanted by-products while maintaining minimal energy losses. A heat recovery system reuses thermal energy generated during the cooling phase to preheat incoming biomethane, enabling overall process efficiency exceeding 86 percent.

Christian Gückel, Head of Vertical Chemicals at Siemens Digital Industries, emphasized that scaling synthetic fuel production is essential to decarbonize aviation. Siemens’ digitalization and automation technologies are intended to help industrialize CAPHENIA’s process and support its broader market deployment.

Dr. Mark Misselhorn, Founder and CEO of CAPHENIA, highlighted the importance of combining technological innovation with industrial expertise to accelerate the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels. The partnership is designed to support the international expansion of CAPHENIA’s reactor technology and enable rapid development of new production facilities.

Digitalization for Industrial Scale-Up

Siemens will support CAPHENIA from the pilot plant located at the Frankfurt-Höchst industrial park through to large-scale commercial deployment. The collaboration will focus on developing a standardized automation and digitalization model for CAPHENIA’s Plasma Boudouard Reactor, enabling modular scaling and adaptation to different production sites.

Digital twin technology will play a central role, allowing operating parameters to be optimized virtually before plant commissioning and ensuring consistent process management across multiple facilities. The standardized approach is expected to reduce commissioning times and accelerate the rollout of future plants.

Expanding Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production

Demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel is increasing rapidly, driven by environmental targets and regulatory requirements such as the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive, which mandates minimum blending quotas for renewable aviation fuels. Despite this growth, current SAF production accounts for less than one percent of global jet fuel demand.

Meeting long-term decarbonization targets will require substantial expansion in production capacity. By 2050, the aviation sector is expected to require approximately 500 million tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuel annually. The development of efficient and scalable production technologies is therefore considered essential for enabling the transition toward lower-carbon aviation fuels.

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes within the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realization and optimization of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and scalable. Together with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable Digital Enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of around 70,000 people worldwide.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know-how to apply AI – including generative AI – to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €78.9 billion and net income of €10.4 billion. As of September 30, 2025, the company employed around 318,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

About CAPHENIA
‘Turning CO₂ into fuel’ – CAPHENIA GmbH is a cleantech company founded in 2018 with a clear mission: to create a CO₂-neutral future for mobility through competitive sustainable fuels.
At the heart of the technology is the Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR) – a globally unique, precisely controllable 3-in-1 zone reactor. The process uses electricity, biomethane, and CO₂ as input materials and splits methane into its components carbon and hydrogen using plasma. The highly efficient process produces synthesis gas without by-products and with minimal energy losses. The synthesis gas is then further processed into synthetic fuels or chemical products. CAPHENIA protects this technology with more than 250 patents worldwide.
With its patented power-and-biogas-to-liquid (PBtL) process, CAPHENIA converts renewable resources into high-quality synthetic fuels. The reactors are designed for full scalability and enable the rapid, large-volume production of renewable fuels.
CAPHENIA is supported by renowned investment and development partners as well as an advisory board of leading industry and business representatives. The development is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWi), the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing, and Rural Affairs.
The ‘Germany I’ pilot plant in the Höchst Industrial Park near Frankfurt am Main will go into operation in 2026 and demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale. This will enable a rapid ramp-up to commercial production.
CAPHENIA is led by founder and CEO Dr. Mark Misselhorn.

Media Contacts:

Christoph Krösmann
Siemens
+49 162 7436402
christoph.kroesmann@siemens.com

Dominique Barbier
CAPHENIA
+49 171 4547707
dominique.barbier@caphenia.com

SOURCE: Siemens