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2nd Annual Conference of the SWEET consortium refuel.ch

The second annual conference of the SWEET Consortium reFuel.ch consortium brought together nearly one hundred participants from national and international research, administration and industry at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen AG.
September 30, 2025
The coffee break offered the opportunity for further exchange and dialogue
The coffee break offered the opportunity for further exchange and dialogue

The reFuel.ch community met for the sixth time to exchange knowledge and ideas following the kick-off in December 2023, the first annual conference at industry partner V-ZUG in 2024, and the round tables in 2024 and 2025. Each event has a different focus. At PSI, young and senior researchers presented the highlights from the ongoing work of the seven work packages.

The presentations included, for example, progress in identifying policy gaps and barriers related to the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels in Switzerland; first results of a survey on consumer preferences regarding the use of sustainable fuels in the industry, aviation or maritime sectors; and progress in modelling the implications of sustainable fuels production in exporting countries. They also highlighted progress in expanding a Swiss energy system model framework to incorporate the necessary components to determine robust pathways for sustainable fuel and platform chemicals production. The technical work packages presented new material developments for catalysts and membranes in the various technological paths investigated in reFuel.ch.

The two keynotes broadened the perspective and provided additional context: an important goal of the consortium is to place its results in the national and international political and social context, to compare Swiss industrial work with that of other countries, and to analyse the economic and the resource/procurement-dependent potential of sustainable fuels and platform chemicals.

Patricia Thornley, Director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute and the Supergen Bioenergy Hub at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, presented the ‘Evaluation of the sustainability impacts of using biomass for energy and products’, how these are handled within the framework of the UK's policy sustainability targets, and how the global availability and environmental impact of biomass compares to that of other alternative fuels.
In the second keynote speech, Christian Moretti, reFuel.ch researcher at the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis at PSI, gave an overview on ‘E-fuels and chemicals: costs, efficiency and optimal use’.  During the two panel discussions with the presenters, the audience had the opportunity to ask their own questions, leading to lively discussions that continued during the breaks.

It was an all-round successful day, filled with the latest research findings and their economic and political implications. We are already looking forward to the next exchange at the online round table in November: information will follow soon on this page!

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Research Paper Energy & Environmental Science
Papers

Haber–Bosch 2.0 for low-carbon ammonia production: a global techno-economic and environmental assessment

Decentralized ammonia production via electric Haber–Bosch (Haber–Bosch 2.0) could support shipping, chemical manufacturing, and local fertilizer supply chains. Unlike conventional Haber–Bosch systems, Haber–Bosch 2.0 technologies operate at lower pressures (∼30–60 bar) and temperatures (∼400 °C), enabling smaller, modular ammonia systems powered by low-carbon electricity. However, its economic viability and environmental performance under diverse conditions remain unclear. Here, we apply techno-economic and environmental life cycle assessment using a novel, open-source framework to optimally design ∼13 000 grid-connected, hybrid, and off-grid electric Haber–Bosch configurations worldwide. Our results demonstrate that decentralized ammonia production costs are between €740–4100 tNH3−1, which is substantially higher compared to centralized ammonia production (∼300 tNH3−1 historically with recent spikes up to ∼€800 tNH3−1). Hybrid configurations exhibit the lowest costs (€740–2090 tNH3−1), particularly in regions with low grid electricity prices, low capital costs, and/or abundant renewables. However, their GHG emissions vary widely depending on the GHG intensity of the local grid. Off-grid systems exhibit the lowest life cycle GHG emissions (on average 0.70 tCO2-eq. tNH3−1), but demonstrate high costs (more than €1100 tNH3−1), driven by oversized renewables and energy storage media to enable continuous Haber–Bosch operation. Cost parity may be achieved by 2050 through technology learning, especially for hybrid systems (€325 tNH3−1). To realize this potential and secure low-carbon fertilizer supply, policymakers should; (1) accelerate the decarbonization of national power grids, (2) provide early-stage deployment support for flexible, electric Haber–Bosch technologies, and (3) establish clear certification standards for low-carbon ammonia.
July 23, 2026
blog post of reFuel
The FOCA Aviation and Climate Funding Programme supports innovative projects to reduce aviation emissions—particularly in the field of renewable synthetic aviation fuels.
News

Strong interest in FOCA Aviation and Climate Funding Programme

More than 50 participants joined a reFuel.ch coordination meeting to exchange insights and explore collaboration opportunities ahead of the upcoming call.
July 10, 2026
blog post of reFuel
Research Paper Energy & Fuels
Papers

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Alternative Fuels and Carbon Capture in Swiss Gas-Fired Power Plants

Carbon-neutral energy systems will rely heavily on electrification and intermittent renewables, thereby increasing the need for flexible technologies such as gas turbines. Using alternative fuels in gas turbines could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support net-zero goals, but their full life-cycle emissions impact has not been evaluated yet. This study presents a prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) of simple cycle gas turbines (SCGTs) in Switzerland, evaluating their performance with various alternative fuels and the potential integration of carbon capture technologies. The analysis considers domestically produced biomethane (from wood chips or biogas) and four e-fuels─e-hydrogen, e-methane, e-ammonia, and e-Fischer-Tropsch (e-FT) fuels─synthesized in regions with cost-effective renewable electricity in Spain, Iceland, and the Netherlands. Regarding carbon capture, we investigate both storage (CCS) and utilization (CCU), considering storage sites in Italy and Norway. The assessment covers multiple impact categories across 2035 and 2050. The results show that domestic biomethane provides a practical and climate-friendly option, reducing life-cycle climate impacts by nearly 80% in the near term and approaching 90% in the long term. In contrast, e-methane does not exceed an 80% reduction in the long term even under its most favorable production pathways. Both biomethane and e-methane can offer net-negative emissions if combined with CCS. Domestic CCU does not offer any environmental advantage if liquefying and transporting hydrogen (H2), instead of directly importing e-methane via pipeline. Multimodal transport increases environmental impacts compared to pipeline transport across several categories. Beyond climate impacts, alternative fuel production introduces trade-offs across most categories compared with natural gas. This study underscores that minimizing greenhouse gas emissions alone is insufficient and that system-level assessments are essential to minimize overall environmental impacts in future flexible power systems.
July 23, 2026
blog post of reFuel
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