Emerson Selected to Automate Europe’s First Greenfield SAF Facility

Emerson Automation Solutions 19 seconds ago

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Integrated control and safety system reduces project risk and supports safe, efficient operations at new sustainable aviation fuel plant

Emerson will automate a sustainable aviation fuel production facility that will help the Netherlands meet the EU’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate.
DeltaV™ integrated control and safety system simplifies project execution and reduces risk at this first-of-a-kind greenfield SAF plant.
Digital automation will support safe start-up and help enable long-term operational performance.

Emerson has been awarded a contract by Technip Energies to provide automation technologies for the SkyNRG sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant, which is being developed as Europe’s first dedicated greenfield SAF production facility.

Emerson’s DeltaV™ integrated control and safety system (ICSS) will help ensure safe and reliable start-up and long-term operational performance while reducing project risk for the first-of-a-kind facility.

The project highlights the growing role of industrial automation in the development of sustainable aviation fuel production infrastructure as governments and the aviation sector work to increase SAF availability and reduce emissions from air transport.

New SAF plant to support European aviation decarbonisation

Currently under construction in Delfzijl, Netherlands, the new sustainable aviation fuel facility will support the Netherlands’ efforts to meet the European Union’s SAF requirements.

Once fully operational in 2028, the facility is expected to produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel annually. The plant will convert residual fats and greases into a sustainable ‘drop-in’ fuel that can be blended with conventional jet fuel without requiring modifications to aircraft or existing fuelling infrastructure.

This ability to use SAF within existing aircraft and fuel infrastructure is an important characteristic of drop-in sustainable aviation fuels. It enables SAF to be incorporated into the aviation fuel supply chain without requiring fundamental changes to aircraft engines or airport fuelling systems.

The project will also support compliance with the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation. The regulation requires aviation fuel supplied at EU airports to contain a minimum share of SAF, starting at 2% from 2025 and increasing progressively to 70% by 2050.

The increasing regulatory requirements are creating a need for additional SAF production capacity across Europe. The development of new greenfield facilities such as the SkyNRG plant is therefore intended to contribute to the expansion of sustainable aviation fuel production needed to meet future demand.

“Developing Europe’s first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel facility is a major step in scaling SAF production and supporting aviation decarbonisation,” said Bart Rosendaal, site director of DSL-01 at SkyNRG. “Working with experienced partners like Technip Energies and Emerson helps ensure we can deliver a safe, reliable and future-ready plant from day one.”

Digital automation for a first-of-a-kind SAF facility

As a greenfield facility, the plant will be born digital, with advanced automation technologies implemented from the outset to support efficient, reliable and safe operations.

The integrated control and safety system will bring together key automation functions across the facility. It will include Emerson’s DeltaV Distributed Control System and DeltaV Safety Instrumented System, providing process control, safety shutdown and fire and gas detection.

By integrating these functions within the plant automation architecture, the system is designed to provide operators with greater visibility of the process and safety systems. This can help support coordinated plant operation and provide the information required for safe start-up and ongoing production.

Emerson’s AMS Device Manager plant asset management software will also support efficient commissioning and ongoing maintenance. The software will provide device data, health insights and advanced diagnostics from intelligent field devices.

The availability of device-level information and diagnostics is intended to support maintenance teams throughout the facility’s operational life. Access to equipment health information can help identify potential issues earlier and support more informed maintenance decisions.

Automation across SAF production and hydrogen systems

The automation systems will manage all process units across the facility. This includes the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids process used to produce sustainable aviation fuel, an advanced feedstock pre-treatment unit and an on-site hydrogen plant.

The hydrogen plant will be based on Technip Energies’ proprietary high-efficiency steam methane reforming technology.

Managing these interconnected process units through an integrated automation architecture will provide real-time visibility of plant operations. It will also support stable and consistent operation across the different stages of the production process.

For a first-of-a-kind sustainable aviation fuel plant, the ability to coordinate multiple process units is particularly important. Integrated process control and safety systems can help operators manage complex plant interactions while maintaining focus on safe and reliable production.

Together, the automation technologies will provide real-time visibility and stable, consistent operation of the facility, helping to improve reliability and optimise throughput.

The approach also reflects the wider role of digitalisation in modern process plants, where automation systems are increasingly expected to support not only process control but also commissioning, asset management, diagnostics, maintenance and long-term operational performance.

Reducing project risk through integrated automation

Emerson will deliver end-to-end project services, applying modern project management strategies and digital technologies to reduce engineering complexity and optimise operations.

For a greenfield project, integrating automation early in the engineering process can help reduce complexity as the plant moves from design and construction through commissioning and start-up.

Seamless integration of the ICSS with a broad range of modular production units will help simplify commissioning. This is particularly relevant for a first-of-a-kind facility where multiple process technologies and equipment packages must work together as part of a single production system.

Emerson’s DeltaV Electronic Marshalling with distributed CHARMs will also reduce field wiring infrastructure costs while providing the flexibility to accommodate late-stage design changes.

Electronic marshalling can provide greater flexibility during the engineering and construction phases by reducing the need for traditional point-to-point wiring arrangements. For a complex greenfield facility, this flexibility can help accommodate changes as the project progresses without creating unnecessary disruption to the overall automation architecture.

The combination of integrated control and safety systems, digital asset management and flexible I/O architecture is intended to provide a streamlined approach to project execution while supporting the plant’s long-term operational requirements.

“Projects such as SkyNRG’s SAF facility represent the future of energy and sustainable fuels,” said Nathan Pettus, president of Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “With complex, first-of-a-kind plants, early engineering alignment and a fully integrated automation architecture are key to delivering predictable project outcomes and consistent operational performance over the long term.”

Supporting the growth of sustainable aviation fuel

The SkyNRG facility comes at a time when sustainable aviation fuel is becoming an increasingly important component of aviation decarbonisation strategies.

ReFuelEU Aviation establishes a progressive SAF supply requirement across the European Union, beginning at 2% in 2025 and increasing to 70% by 2050. The regulation is designed to increase the availability and use of SAF while supporting the EU’s wider emissions reduction objectives.

The UK is also increasing its focus on sustainable aviation fuel. The UK SAF Mandate came into force in 2025 and requires the supply of an increasing proportion of SAF in the UK aviation fuel mix, starting at 2% in 2025 and rising to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040.

Against this regulatory backdrop, new SAF production facilities will be required to combine reliable process technologies with automation systems capable of supporting safe, efficient and consistent operation.

For the SkyNRG facility, Emerson’s automation technology is intended to provide that digital foundation from the beginning of the project. By integrating process control, safety systems, asset management and flexible field connectivity, the automation architecture will support the facility from commissioning and start-up through to long-term SAF production.

The project therefore demonstrates how advanced industrial automation can play a role in the development of new sustainable fuel infrastructure, helping first-of-a-kind facilities manage project complexity while establishing the operational foundations needed for reliable commercial production.

Contact Details

Emerson Automation Solutions

0870 240 1978
uksales@emerson.com
Meridian East, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, Leicestershire LE19 1UX GB

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