California-based Captura, which specializes in direct ocean capture (DOC) technology, has been selected to supply the carbon dioxide (CO2) feedstock for a new facility at the Port of Port-La-Nouvelle in southern France, to be developed by a Franco-Canadian consortium led by SAF+ International Group.
Annual production is projected at 75,000 tonnes of electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), produced by combining green hydrogen with CO2 captured directly from the ocean.
The fuel would carry a roughly 90% reduction in emissions compared with conventional kerosene, and would be compatible with existing aircraft under ASTM D7566 and FT-SPK certification standards, according to SAF+ International Group and Captura.
The project is designed in part to help airlines meet obligations under RefuelEU, the European Union’s regulation requiring increasing blends of sustainable aviation fuel from 2025 onward, with eSAF-specific mandates taking effect in 2030.
“2030 is just around the corner! Following Hyvolution, it is thanks to our local partners that we are bringing our commitment to life in France with a site in Port-la-Nouvelle that combines innovation, industrial performance, and local impact,” said Pierre Gonthier, CEO of SAF+ International Group.
The project’s partners span engineering, energy, and chemicals sectors, including BBA Consultants, Schneider Electric, Topsoe, Sasol, and port operator SEMOP Port La Nouvelle, with an unnamed airline also involved.
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Hans Kerstens, CEO of SEMOP Port La Nouvelle, said the partnership “concretely illustrates the ambition of Port La Nouvelle to become a reference industrial port for the energy transition,” and that the eSAF project aligns directly with the port’s development strategy.
Port-La-Nouvelle was chosen for its logistics infrastructure and proximity to an established industrial cluster.
The project was formally announced at the Hyvolution Paris 2026 trade show, and Canada’s Embassy in France cited it as an example of bilateral industrial cooperation on low-carbon technologies.
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