Rheinmetall plans for independent e‑fuel production
Germany-based Rheinmetall has announced a new strategy designed to enable European armed forces to produce synthetic fuels locally, removing dependence on international fossil fuel supply chains.
Developed in collaboration with partners, the company’s ‘Giga PtX’ project aims to establish a network of several hundred modular e-fuel production plants across Europe.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Find out more
Each facility is expected to generate between 5,000 and 7,000 tonnes (t) of diesel, marine diesel or kerosene per year, depending on specific military requirements.
Rheinmetall proposes to serve as the general contractor for this initiative, taking responsibility for system integration, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the industrial sites.
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said: “Maintaining fossil fuel supply chains will be challenging for European countries in the event of a defence situation. With the Giga PtX facilities, Rheinmetall and its partners are sending a strong signal of industrial transformation, climate protection and security resilience in Europe.”
To enable immediate provision of the plant technology, a consortium of major German industrial firms and cleantech companies has been established.
Sunfire is set to join the consortium, with its pressurised alkaline electrolysers set to play a critical part in supplying green hydrogen for e-fuel manufacturing at each plant.
In addition, Greenlyte, a company based in North Rhine-Westphalia, will contribute its modular technology for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
This capability provides another core input for synthetic fuel production at Giga PtX plants and allows these sites to function independently from existing carbon infrastructure.
The direct air capture feature also increases flexibility regarding plant location.
Rheinmetall’s long-term collaborator INERATEC from Karlsruhe, Germany will oversee the main chemical processes for synthetic fuel production within the consortium.
INERATEC is responsible for the Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes used at each facility to convert green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide into e-fuels.
The company had previously demonstrated expertise in this area by commissioning a power-to-liquid facility in Frankfurt am Main, capable of producing up to 2,500t of sustainable fuel annually.
According to Rheinmetall, construction on the first Giga PtX plants could begin soon once appropriate political and regulatory conditions are established.
In the first half of fiscal 2025, Rheinmetall delivered record sales and income figures, propelled by sustained high demand in the defence sector and 36% sales growth in the business.
