SkyNRG Secures Funding for Netherlands' First Large-Scale SAF Plant

Sustainable aviation fuel provider SkyNRG has reached financial close on a project to build the Netherlands' first large-scale SAF production plant at the Delfzijl chemical park, with KLM as the primary offtaker. The plant is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of SAF annually once it begins operations, targeted for mid-2028.

The Delfzijl plant will also produce 35,000 tonnes of sustainable by-products annually, including biobased propane, butane, and naphtha, using the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway with vegetable oils, waste oils, or fats as feedstock. Construction has already begun. SkyNRG's financing base includes a €175 million investment from Macquarie in 2023 and a €250 million investment from Dutch pension asset manager APG in 2025. KLM, a co-founder and shareholder of SkyNRG, has been its primary commercial partner since the world's first commercial SAF flight in 2011.

SkyNRG anticipates that the lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction from its SAF will increase from an initial 80% to more than 90% over time, as Dutch renewable energy availability grows and natural gas reliance decreases. The aviation sector has set a 2050 net zero commitment, and SAF is widely recognized as the primary near-to-medium term decarbonization pathway. The Netherlands project represents a significant scaling of European SAF production capacity at a time when regulatory mandates — particularly in the EU — are creating mandatory blending obligations for airlines.

The completion of financing marks SkyNRG's transformation from a SAF distributor and sourcing company into a producer with dedicated manufacturing infrastructure. Operations at Delfzijl are targeted for mid-2028, ahead of the EU's escalating SAF blending mandates under ReFuelEU Aviation. The project is expected to serve as a model for scaling HEFA production across Europe. For India's aviation sector, which is exploring domestic SAF production under the National Biofuel Policy, SkyNRG's end-to-end model — from feedstock sourcing to long-term offtake agreements — offers a relevant commercial template.

Key figure — 100,000 tonnes of SAF per year