Liepaja SEZ Company Attracts Strategic Investor and Changes the Name

In order to implement the project for the construction of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant and CO2 terminal, the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Company “GI Termināls” has attracted a strategic investor and changed the company name. From now on, the company name is “NORSAF”, and its controlling shareholder is “AVIA Solution Group”, registered in Ireland.

According to the European Union requirements, starting from 2025, the aircraft need to switch to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is produced from renewable resources and is environmentally friendly. The EU regulation stipulates that SAF should make up 63% of all fuel used in aviation by 2050, while approximately 15% of the aircraft should switch to hydrogen or pure electric propulsion, which will potentially enable short-distance flights.

Jānis Kisiels, LSEZ SIA “NORSAF” Board Member admits that production of sustainable aviation fuel for aircraft and supply chains is currently a major challenge for the entire aviation industry. Starting from 2030, the demand will increase every five years and will have to be produced and supplied in large volumes. The company plans to produce both SAF and eSAF, some of which will be of non-biological origin. It has been agreed with the US company “KBR” on the acquisition of the relevant technology. KBR is one of the leading US and global companies in the field of design and engineering solutions for hydrocarbon processing and sustainable fuel production. It will provide a patented engineering solution and equipment for the creation of a new aviation fuel (SAF) production plant with an expected capacity of up to 100 thousand tons per year. 

Jānis Kisiels also points out that the chosen technology will ensure a full cycle - the produced green wind and solar electricity will be used in the electrolysis process to produce green hydrogen, which will then be used as a raw material, together with the captured CO2, in the production of SAF and eSAF. It is essential that the existing infrastructure for the storage and supply of sustainable aviation fuel is suitable and can be safely used in modern aircraft.

Back in 2024, the company signed a land lease reservation agreement with the Liepaja SEZ Authority, indicating that it plans to produce sustainable aviation fuel. Namely, it is about aviation fuel from renewable energy and secondary raw materials. This is one of the future development projects that have been united in the Liepaja Sustainable Industry Hub.

Liepaja SEZ CEO Uldis Hmieļevskis points out that the city has managed to concentrate a number of large, financially intensive projects that can combine in mutual synergy in the field of Green Industry. “This includes creation of a wind farm support base in the Port of Liepaja, a hydrogen production plant, storage of the SAF raw material – liquefied CO2, and assembly of Fokker Next Gen hydrogen aircraft. These are projects that are in development and comply with the European Green Deal. The project launch years are from 2027 to 2030, which is actually very close.