Key Takeaways
- Technip Energies, Airbus, Safran, and Tereos have signed an agreement to create Rebound, a joint venture to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility at the Port of Dunkirk in northern France.
- The plant will use Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) technology to produce approximately 160,000 tonnes of SAF per year, targeting a position as one of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe.
- Tereos, Europe’s leading ethanol producer, will supply advanced ethanol derived from agricultural and forestry residues; Airbus and Safran join as industrial partners and potential SAF offtakers.
- The Port of Dunkirk has already allocated a site to Technip Energies, providing logistical advantages and a streamlined permitting pathway.
- The joint venture is expected to be finalised in the second half of 2025, with a Final Investment Decision (FID) subject to completion of engineering, permitting, offtake agreements, and financing.
Technip Energies, Airbus, Safran, and Tereos Launch Rebound SAF Joint Venture at Dunkirk
Technip Energies, Airbus, Safran, and French agricultural cooperative Tereos have signed an agreement to form Rebound, a joint venture targeting the development of an industrial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production project at the Port of Dunkirk in northern France. The four partners cover the full value chain from feedstock supply through to end-use in aviation, making Rebound an entirely European-led initiative.
The plant is designed to produce approximately 160,000 tonnes of SAF per year using Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) technology, which converts advanced ethanol — produced from agricultural and forestry residues — into aviation fuel compatible with existing engines and aircraft. At that scale, Rebound would rank among the largest AtJ facilities in Europe.
Why Alcohol-to-Jet, and Why Now
SAF is widely recognised as the primary decarbonisation lever for the aviation sector. Under the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, mandatory SAF blending requirements will rise progressively to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050 — implying an eightfold increase in demand between those two dates. Among the available production pathways, Alcohol-to-Jet is positioned as a commercially scalable and cost-competitive route for meeting that demand at industrial volumes.
The AtJ pathway uses advanced ethanol as its primary input, sourced from residues rather than food crops, providing a route to bioenergy from agricultural biomass that does not compete directly with food supply chains.
Partner Roles Across the Value Chain
Each of the four founding partners brings a distinct function to Rebound. Technip Energies will act as lead project developer and engineering services provider, contributing expertise in technology development and complex project execution. Airbus and Safran, both global aerospace leaders, participate as industrial partners and potential SAF offtakers, helping to secure commercial demand for the facility’s output. Tereos, as Europe’s leading ethanol producer, will supply and secure the advanced ethanol feedstock required by the AtJ process.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is one of the essential levers for decarbonising aviation, and the Alcohol-to-Jet pathway offers a credible and scalable route to achieving that. With Rebound, we are applying our strategy of creating value through adjacent business models by initiating and developing projects in high-growth energy transition markets,” said Benjamin Lechuga, Strategy and Sustainable Development Director at Technip Energies.
“The Rebound project reflects confidence in SAF and in Europe’s ability to establish itself as a leader in aviation decarbonisation. This project aims to increase the availability of lower-carbon fuels, contribute to reducing aviation sector emissions, and strengthen Europe’s energy supply security, while creating new jobs,” said Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer at Airbus.
Dunkirk Site Already Secured
A significant early milestone has already been reached: the Port of Dunkirk has allocated an industrial site to Technip Energies that, once the joint venture is finalised, will give Rebound logistical advantages for the transport of raw materials and products, as well as a simplified permitting process. The northern France location also reinforces the project’s contribution to French industrial leadership in the energy transition.
Development Timeline and Next Steps
The partners have committed to funding the project’s development phase, which covers engineering studies and other activities required before a Final Investment Decision (FID) can be taken. Upcoming milestones include selection of the technology licensor, permitting, launch of pre-FEED and FEED engineering, finalisation of feedstock supply and SAF offtake agreements, and securing construction financing.
“We are very pleased to contribute with Rebound to the emergence of the Alcohol-to-Jet pathway in France in service of aviation decarbonisation. This project is at the heart of Tereos’ mission: developing decarbonised industrial value chains by valorising agricultural production,” said Jérôme Bos, Strategy Director at Tereos.
The joint venture itself is expected to be formally closed in the second half of this year, subject to customary closing conditions and approvals.
