Synthetic Aviation Fuel | Inside Syntholene’s Bet on the Thermal Hybrid Path

The Enverus Innovation Underground series, hosted by Enverus Intelligence® Research Analyst Graham Bain, features in-depth discussions with industry leaders pioneering the adoption of cleaner energy solutions, including CCUS, hydrogen, geothermal, direct lithium extraction and more.  

Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. Electrification is not a near-term option for commercial flight, and the most widely available sustainable aviation fuel today, bio-based HEFA, faces feedstock constraints that limit how far it can scale. Syntholene Energy is building a different pathway: a Thermal Hybrid Production System that pairs high-temperature electrolysis with chemical synthesis to convert electricity, geothermal heat and captured carbon into drop-in synthetic kerosene. 

The company’s demonstration facility is under construction in Húsavík, Iceland, adjacent to the Húsavík Power Station, with access to 45MW+ of electrical capacity and geothermal heat at 150°C+. Syntholene is targeting a 70% cost reduction versus the nearest competing synthetic fuel technology, a claim backed by independent validation, and is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (ticker: ESAF), OTCQB (SYNTF) and Frankfurt (3DD0). The commercial timing sits against binding SAF mandates already in force in the EU and UK from 2025, with US adoption moving through tax incentives rather than a federal requirement. 

In this episode, Graham Bain sits down with Dan Sutton, CEO of Syntholene Energy. Dan brings 15 years of experience in sustainable infrastructure deployment, including founding Tantalus Labs and designing its first-of-a-kind SUNLAB production facility, which reduced energy demand by 90% per square foot versus industry incumbents. 

Together, they explore what the Thermal Hybrid Production System actually does, how Syntholene’s economics compare to competing SAF routes and what the path from Iceland demonstration facility to commercial-scale production looks like. 

Topics Covered 

• Dan’s path from sustainable infrastructure to founding Syntholene in 2024
• How eSAF compares to HEFA bio-SAF, alcohol-to-jet and Fischer-Tropsch biomass routes
• Inside the Thermal Hybrid Production System: integrating high-temperature electrolysis with chemical synthesis
• Why Húsavík: Iceland’s near-100% renewable grid, geothermal heat at 150°C+ and 200MW+ of approved regional expansion capacity
• The economics behind the 70% cost reduction claim and what drives Syntholene’s cost stack
• The timeline from the June 2026 demonstration facility to a first commercial plant