Yesterday SPIN’s General Assembly 2025 took place at the headquarters of SR Technics in Zurich-Kloten. Members, guests, and other participants gathered to discuss the strategic direction for 2025, with a clear focus on strengthening political advocacy, establishing new partnerships – especially within the financial sector – and promoting the deployment of Power-to-X technologies.
SPIN’s leadership looked back on a successful 2024, with major events such as the Power-to-X DAYS and the SPIN DAY, a series of webinars and networking meetings, and continued membership growth. These milestones underline the increasing relevance of defossilization across politics, business, and research.
A highlight of the event was the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Fischer-Tropsch process, a key technology for the production of synthetic fuels. Developed in 1925 by German chemists Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch, this method remains essential today in producing CO₂-neutral synthetic jet fuel using renewable electricity. Christian Bersier, CEO of INERATEC Switzerland, marked the occasion with a keynote address and a retrospective on the history and future of the process. (Download the slides here and a summary here.)
In his speech, SPIN Co-President and National Councillor Martin Bäumle stressed the broader significance of this centennial: “We are not just celebrating a technology – we are sending a message to policymakers. The solutions to the climate crisis have been available for decades. It is time to implement them.”
The Fischer-Tropsch process converts hydrogen and CO₂ into liquid hydrocarbons, enabling the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) that can be used with today’s aircraft and infrastructure, eliminating the need for fossil raw materials.
Despite its technological maturity, the rollout of this process continues to face hurdles due to regulatory uncertainty and a lack of bold political decisions. SPIN therefore calls for a stronger focus on implementation. “Research is still important,” Bäumle added, “but we need the political will to deploy what already works.”
SPIN’s plans for the year include several expert events, such as a visit to a Power-to-X facility in the canton of Aargau and a side event at the CC Forum Zurich in autumn. The General Assembly also approved the 2025 budget, confirmed the current auditor, and endorsed the network’s strategic course.
Source: SPIN media release, 2 April 2025
Join us in shaping the future of energy—be part of SPIN, as a member or as a patron or both.