Milestone in the DeCarTrans Project: Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer Visits Freiberg to Learn About the Technology and Its Industrial Prospects
300,000 Litres of Synthetic Gasoline Produced Using CAC METHAFUEL® Technology
The large-scale pilot plant at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF) has now produced 300,000 litres of synthetic gasoline using CAC METHAFUEL® technology. This milestone, achieved as part of the DeCarTrans collaborative research project, demonstrates the technology’s capability for continuous operation and marks an important step for CAC ENGINEERING on the path towards industrial-scale application.
Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer visited the site on September 11 to learn about the project’s progress and the prospects for synthetic fuels. Together with TUBAF Rector Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes, Prof. Dr. Martin Gräbner from TUBAF’s Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering, and Jörg Engelmann, Managing Partner of CAC ENGINEERING, he discussed the technological development and its transfer to industrial scale.
“With 300,000 litres produced, we have demonstrated that our technology operates reliably in continuous operation and real-world applications. The next step is industrial scaling. From a technological perspective, we are ready,” says Jörg Engelmann. “What we need now are reliable framework conditions so that concrete project concepts can be turned into investment decisions.”
Industrial Application Already Planned
The industrial application of CAC METHAFUEL® technology is already planned with German eFuel One. Germany’s first commercial eFuel plant is to be built in Steyerberg, with a capacity of around 75 million litres of synthetic gasoline per year. Commissioning is scheduled for 2029. Under a Letter of Intent with German eFuel One and LOTHER, the BMW Group stated its intention to use eFuels from 2029 onwards for the initial filling of new gasoline-powered vehicles at selected production sites in Germany.
In parallel, CAC is also developing a technology for synthetic aviation fuel. As part of the EwOPro collaborative research project, the company is working together with TU Bergakademie Freiberg, DBI Gas- und Umwelttechnik GmbH and Fraunhofer IKTS on the methanol-to-jet-fuel route. CAC METHAJET® is designed to convert renewable methanol into synthetic kerosene. The latest project results show that the fuel samples produced fall within the limits required for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for the relevant parameters investigated. In addition, the certification of the methanol-to-jet-fuel route by ASTM paves the way for market introduction.
Technology Proven in Continuous Operation
The large-scale pilot plant for synthetic gasoline was built by CAC ENGINEERING at TU Bergakademie Freiberg in 2009, and the technology has been continuously developed jointly ever since. As part of the DeCarTrans collaborative project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, particular focus is being placed on demonstrating its capability for continuous operation. During an earlier DeCarTrans test campaign, the plant already operated continuously and without interruption for nine weeks. The recently completed seventh campaign has now produced the 300,000th litre of renewable gasoline using e-methanol as the feedstock.
By mid-2027, a total of 380,000 litres are to be produced and made available for fuel analyses and extensive vehicle testing. As an E10 blend, the synthetic gasoline complies with the requirements of DIN EN 228, is registered under REACH and can be blended with fossil gasoline without requiring technical modifications to existing vehicles.
Since November 2025, the Freiberg facility has been using e-methanol produced from CO₂ and hydrogen generated with renewable electricity. The RFNBO-compliant e-methanol currently in use comes from the Power-to-X facility operated by European Energy and Mitsui in Kassø/Denmark.
“Our e-methanol from Kassø is converted into synthetic gasoline in Freiberg using CAC’s technology. The milestone of 300,000 litres demonstrates how the individual stages of the eFuel value chain can be brought together in practice”, says Torben Nørgaard, Vice President, Head of Partnerships and Offtake, Power-to-X at European Energy.