Carbon Neutral Fuels (CNF) has selected Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC) technology for its upcoming hydrogen-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in the UK. The decision follows the signing of a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) agreement using Topsoe’s solid oxide systems, reports H2-View.
The project will use 120MW of renewable energy to power Topsoe’s electrolysers. The hydrogen produced at the Workington site will be converted into 25,000 tonnes of e-SAF each year.
Project Starling has received £6 million from the UK government through the Advanced Fuels Fund and is now in the engineering design stage. Construction is planned to start in 2028, with the first operations expected in 2031, depending on CNF’s final investment decision (FID). Once operating, the plant could lower lifecycle emissions by 89% compared with conventional jet fuel.
The agreement marks the first time Topsoe’s solid oxide technology will be used commercially for clean fuel production. The modules for the project will be manufactured at the company’s new 500MW facility in Herning, Denmark, and are scheduled for delivery in 2028, subject to the FID.
Topsoe’s CCO for Power-to-X, Sundus Cordelia Ramli, said the contract represents “a major milestone for our team,” reflecting years of work advancing SOEC technology. CNF co-founder Alasdair Lumsden said the depth of technical data supporting Topsoe’s systems “played a key role in earning our confidence.”
According to Topsoe, its high-temperature SOEC technology can produce 20–30% more hydrogen from the same amount of electricity compared with PEM or alkaline electrolysers, helping reduce energy costs per tonne of hydrogen. While promising, SOEC remains an emerging technology, with no large-scale systems yet in operation worldwide.
