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reFuel.ch awarded funding from SWEET programme

A decision has been made on the call for proposals “Sustainable Fuels and Platform Chemicals”: The reFuel.ch consortium led by Empa will receive project funding.
August 10, 2023
move, Empa's demonstrator for the mobility of the future, shows how surplus renewable electricity that cannot be used directly in the electricity market can be used to produce renewable chemical energy carriers - e.g. in the form of hydrogen or synthetic methane. Image: Empa
move, Empa's demonstrator for the mobility of the future, shows how surplus renewable electricity that cannot be used directly in the electricity market can be used to produce renewable chemical energy carriers - e.g. in the form of hydrogen or synthetic methane. Image: Empa

The overall target of reFuel.ch (Renewable Fuels and Chemicals for Switzerland) is to improve the sustainability and reduce the costs of sustainable fuels and platform chemicals by increasing the efficiency, selectivity, and load-flexibility of production plants to comply with long-term climate policy goals.

The consortium will investigate how investment security can be improved by closing the knowledge gap between technical and non-technical aspects of sustainable fuels. Robust and practical pathways for the introduction of sustainable fuels and platform chemicals into markets and the Swiss energy system will be developed. To achieve this, inputs from social and natural sciences and engineering as well as from the dialogue with relevant stakeholders will be included. A second aim is to strengthen innovative technologies currently at low technology readiness level.

The call “Sustainable Fuels and Platform Chemicals” was developed in collaboration with the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) and the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse). The reFuel.ch consortium was selected in a two-stage procedure. The funding is CHF 15 million. The consortium consists of Empa as "host institution" and the members Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Basel, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), "Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana" (SUPSI), Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and Casale SA.

SWEET (Swiss Energy research for the Energy Transition) funding programme

The SWEET programme issues rolling calls for proposals for consortium projects and will continue until 2032. Funding is provided only for consortium projects that address central research topics of the 2050 Energy Strategy and Switzerland's long-term climate strategy in a comprehensive manner. SWEET focuses on solution-oriented research and on demonstrations of the results achieved. The SFOE has the lead for the SWEET programme.

Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)

FOCA supports the development and use of sustainable (aviation) fuels. These fuels can significantly reduce the impact of air traffic on the climate. Development in this area is a priority defined in the current multi-year SFLV financial aid programme. Close cooperation with the partner offices is sought in order to ensure that funding is as effective as possible.

armasuisse

The Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse) is the procurement, technology and real estate centre of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). It is responsible for the development, evaluation, procurement and disposal of systems and materials of the Swiss Armed Forces and other customers. It participates in meeting the DDPS's energy policy objectives as set out in the Energy and Climate action plan. Replacing fossil fuels with more climate-friendly options is a high priority in this regard.

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Research Paper Energy & Environmental Science
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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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