Green kerosene from Dusseldorf: One pilot, many questions for Mallorca

Green kerosene from Dusseldorf: One pilot, many questions for Mallorca

A small, unusual factory could soon stand at Dusseldorf Airport: a team from Essen wants to produce power-to-liquid kerosene there. According to the project agreement, Eurowings has committed to offtake for the first three production years. A positive signal — but behind the promise lie technical, energy-policy and economic challenges that should also concern us in Mallorca.

What is planned — and what does it mean for the Dusseldorf–Mallorca route?

The facility is to capture CO2 directly from the ambient air (Direct Air Capture (DAC)), combine it with green hydrogen and thus produce so-called Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Electricity drives the electrolysis and the further chemical steps. For the pilot phase, around 150 tonnes per year are targeted. That sounds like progress, but in reality it is very small: with the currently possible SAF blending up to 50 percent, that is enough for only a few dozen round trips between Dusseldorf and Palma.

On Mallorca, where the noise of the tarmacs, the clatter of suitcases on the Paseo Marítimo and the early plane landings shape everyday life, this would be more of a visible symbol than a real contribution to transport transition. But symbols matter — they test procedures, create experience and provide the industry with the data it can rely on.

The big questions that are rarely asked out loud

Technically, Power-to-Liquid is fascinating, but the decisive questions concern energy efficiency, costs and scaling. DAC processes are energy-intensive, electrolysis requires a lot of electricity, and the entire chain is currently more expensive than fossil kerosene. Less often discussed is the question of where the green electricity should come from at large scale without burdening local power supplies. For Mallorca this means: if we really want to use SAF, we need additional, reliable generation — whether rooftop solar, solar fields away from tourist zones or expanded offshore solutions.

Another often overlooked aspect is the land and water demand: photovoltaics, electrolysers and DAC facilities require space and some processes also need cooling or water. On a densely used island like Mallorca, such planning must be compatible with local land use and environmental protection.

Why the Dusseldorf pilot still matters

Real-world labs like this show where processes are unstable, which logistical problems airports face when refuelling with SAF and how precise CO2 accounting must be. If the Dusseldorf plant reliably produces 150 tonnes and Eurowings takes it, it will provide concrete numbers on costs, downtimes and supply-chain logistics — data that large investors and policy makers need to make decisions (Jet fuel shortage in Hamburg causes uncertainty for Mallorca travelers).

And for Mallorca there is a practical path: island routes are ideal test corridors — for example the Düsseldorf–Palma connection. Short routes, clear frequencies, manageable fuel volumes — here you can gain experience fastest, correct mistakes and test economic viability under real conditions.

Concrete steps to turn pilots into real impact

A pilot alone is not enough. Needed are:

1. Scaling plans: Clear roadmaps for how a pilot capacity can be scaled to the megaton range — with transparency on cost curves and electricity needs.

2. Regional energy partnerships: Airports and island administrations should agree binding capacity targets with producers: additional PV areas, PPA models and possible offshore projects.

3. Financial incentives: Blending mandates, CO2 pricing or start-up funding can narrow the price gap with fossil kerosene. Without political signals, SAF remains expensive and marginal.

4. Transparent CO2 accounting: The entire supply chain — from production through transport to combustion — must be properly accounted for. Only then can the benefits of such projects be communicated credibly (see Drone over Palma: Menorca refueling stop and the question of Mallorca's airspace safety as an example of how operational incidents affect supply and operations).

A quiet note of hope — and a lot of work

At the early departure from Aeropuerto de Son Sant Joan the light over the Tramuntana fades, engines rumble, people drink their last café con leche — and the thought of cleaner fuel suddenly doesn't sound so out of reach. The Dusseldorf project is not a cure-all, but a test: if the technology works, processes can be optimised and costs reduced. If scaling succeeds in combination with a massive expansion of renewables, island routes like the one between Dusseldorf and Mallorca could become pioneers.

Until then it remains a balancing act between hope and reality: pilot plants create knowledge — whether they become a fast solution for mass traffic depends on electricity prices, politics and bold investments. For Mallorca this means concretely: we should observe, demand inclusion in test corridors and build local generation capacities, otherwise such projects will remain nice headlines rather than tangible change.