Technip Energies has taken a strategic minority stake in the DEZiR project, a synthetic aviation fuel (eSAF) plant in Rouen, France, signalling a major push toward decarbonizing European aviation. 

 

The initiative, backed by the France 2030 program and the European Innovation Fund, marks a significant step in building a European e-fuels value chain.

 

Technip Energies will supply its carbon capture technology, Canopy by T.ENTM powered by Shell CANSOLV, to capture biogenic CO2 from nearby industries, feeding it into eSAF production. Its joint venture with John Cockerill, Rely, is also handling the project’s Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), ensuring technical excellence from the outset.

 

Verso Energy and Rely share ambitions for standardization and replicability, aiming to make DEZiR a model for future eSAF plants in France and abroad. The first FEED contract was signed in November 2025, with the plant expected to begin operations around 2030, producing 80,000 tons per year of decarbonized aviation fuel, strengthening France’s energy sovereignty while advancing European climate goals.

 

The partnership also expands to Verso Energy’s full eSAF development portfolio, spanning seven plants across France, Finland, and the U.S. By leveraging the DEZiR model, the group seeks to cut costs and accelerate market entry for synthetic aviation fuels.

 

Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, said:

"We are pleased to engage alongside Verso Energy in the DEZiR project. Through this investment, Technip Energies aims to support the development of a European e-fuels value chain to decarbonize aviation. With FEED underway, DEZiR is one of the most advanced eSAF projects in Europe. It also illustrates our approach to designing standardized and replicable projects to improve affordability and accelerate deployment."

 

Xavier Caitucoli, President and co-founder of Verso Energy, added: "We are very proud that Technip Energies has acquired a stake in DEZiR. This is a positive signal from one of the world’s leaders in major industrial projects. Their commitment demonstrates that the project meets the highest technical and financial standards and confirms Verso's ability to develop and deliver state-of-the-art infrastructure, including France's first eSAF plant by 2030."