Swiss car importers can save millions with synthetic fuels. That was the headline number at the Power-to-X Congress Switzerland 2026: an importer that meets its CO₂ fleet targets with e-fuel credits instead of paying penalties saves around CHF 7.3 million in the example of a premium carmaker – CHF 11.3 million instead of CHF 18.7 million for the years 2030 to 2034, without any extra cost for drivers at the pump. Porsche Consulting presented the calculation to 140 experts from industry, energy supply, research, administration and politics at the Kursaal Bern on 22 September 2026.
It was the first time that energie-cluster.ch and the Swiss Power-to-X Collaborative Innovation Network (SPIN) organised the congress together, in cooperation with Réseau H2 Suisse Romande. The event merged energie-cluster.ch’s Power-to-Gas Kongress and the SPIN Day into one national meeting point. With Réseau H2 Suisse Romande as strategic partner and simultaneous interpretation into German, French and English, it was anchored in all three language regions for the first time. Frank Schürch (energie-cluster.ch) and Peter Metzinger (SPIN) opened the day together with Sébastien Haye (Réseau H2 Suisse Romande).
The verdict: the technology is ready, implementation is not
The saving is possible because Swiss legislation is exemplary by international standards: it leaves importers free to choose how they reduce CO₂ emissions – with electric vehicles or with synthetic fuels. That freedom of choice increases the chance of cutting emissions faster than a purely electric pathway would.
The congress motto was «Reality Check with Net Zero», and the reality check produced a clear result. Power-to-X – storing renewable electricity in the form of green molecules such as hydrogen, methane or methanol – is a key to net zero. It has no alternative in aviation and shipping, it is indispensable for the defossilisation of industry and chemicals, it accelerates CO₂ reduction in road transport, and renewable gases such as e-methane and liquids such as e-methanol help secure electricity supply in winter. The technologies and many of the legal foundations are in place. What is lagging is the implementation of the law through ordinances, and as a consequence, financing.
Several speakers showed the role of Power-to-X in the energy systems of Switzerland, Germany and China. Researchers and the start-up Metafuels demonstrated that new technologies are ready in their labs for commercialisation. easyJet, Porsche Consulting and Metafuels illustrated the economic weight of Power-to-X, which stems above all from the blending mandate for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
ETH Zürich: imports are part of the cost-optimal solution – so is moderate domestic production
Dr Gianfranco Guidati, deputy director of the Energy Science Center at ETH Zürich, a SPIN member, used nine net zero scenarios for 2050 to show how differently the Swiss energy system could look depending on how open the country is to innovation and how it relates to Europe. Some things hold across all scenarios: hydropower, photovoltaics and wind form the backbone of electricity supply, imports are part of the cost-optimal solution, and hydrogen is hardly used directly but mainly to synthesise liquid fuels.
Moderate Swiss production of a few hundred million litres of e-fuels, in a mix with biomass-based processes, is part of the cost-optimal solution. Most synthetic fuels for aviation and road transport, however, will be imported. According to preliminary results of the SWEET-ReFuel project, expanding domestic production beyond that would sharply increase electricity demand, and with it the dependence on electricity imports and uranium. Globally, Guidati expects demand for aviation, shipping and road fuels to be met via Power-to-Hydrogen-to-Liquids, because no other pathway can scale as far.
Swiss gas industry: no climate targets without Power-to-Gas
Boris Krey of the Swiss Gas Industry Association (VSG) placed renewable gases in the overall system: decisive for defossilising high-temperature industrial processes, for diversification and security of supply, and as seasonal storage. The gas industry is sticking to its target of raising the share of renewable gases from 10 per cent today to 15 per cent by 2030, 50 per cent by 2040 and 100 per cent by 2050.
In 2025, 574 GWh of biomethane were fed into the Swiss grid. If half of the biogenic CO₂ from that production were recycled via Power-to-Gas, output could rise by around 250 GWh. The «Netztransformationsplan erneuerbare Gase» already shows 78 per cent H₂ readiness in the grid area studied. Referring to the federal review report published in September, Krey welcomed the fact that a connection to the European hydrogen network is still being examined. At the same time, he warned of the risks of waiting: alternative north–south transit routes could bypass Switzerland, and once the European hydrogen market ramps up, access to renewable gases could become a location factor for Swiss industry.
Fraunhofer ISE: Germany will be one of the world’s largest hydrogen importers
Dr-Ing. Achim Schaadt, head of the Sustainable Synthesis Products department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg, presented the European import perspective. Germany expects to need 95 to 130 TWh of hydrogen and derivatives in 2030, of which 50 to 70 per cent will have to be imported. By 2045, demand rises to 360 to 500 TWh of hydrogen plus 200 TWh of derivatives. Pipeline imports from Europe and North Africa will be complemented by shipments of ammonia, methanol or dimethyl ether (DME) from regions such as Chile, Australia and Canada.
Schaadt named two drivers: tighter regulation – in Germany, the greenhouse gas quota rises from 12 per cent in 2026 to 65 per cent in 2040, and the RFNBO quota from 0.1 to 10 per cent – and the oil crisis following the Iran war, which according to the IEA has permanently changed the fossil energy industry. In the e-fuel market, methanol is by far the frontrunner, with DME a possible follower. Fraunhofer ISE is working on methanol and DME synthesis from biogenic residues, industrial off-gases and H₂/CO₂, and on converting methanol into SAF, DME, gasoline and diesel fractions and olefins for the chemical industry. It is also researching how to release hydrogen again, for example by cracking ammonia, for steelmaking, power generation, ship propulsion and industrial heat.
China: from pilots to mass production in integrated plants
Jochen Siebert, founder and managing director of JSC Automotive (Shanghai/Stuttgart), showed how China uses Power-to-X as an instrument of energy security. The country depends heavily on oil and gas imports, and its massive support for electric cars has changed little, because fuel demand comes from the vehicle stock, not from new sales. China’s strategy: everything that can be electrified will be electrified, and Power-to-X replaces oil and gas where that is not possible – in ammonia and fertiliser, methanol and chemicals, refineries, steelmaking, shipping and aviation.
According to Siebert, China has left the green hydrogen pilot phase behind and is moving to mass production of Power-to-X in integrated plants. The capacity is there but only a small part of it is being used; electrolyser manufacturers and plant operators are suffering from overcapacity. Ammonia and methanol have better sales prospects than hydrogen for energy use or green kerosene. Whether the breakthrough comes by 2035 will depend on electricity costs, production efficiency, infrastructure and long-term contracts.
Porsche Consulting: e-fuels pay off for Swiss importers – but only 6 per cent of projects have an investment decision
For Swiss car importers, Power-to-X already pays off today. That was the core message of Lukas Hoffmann, senior consultant at Porsche Consulting in Stuttgart. Because e-fuels count towards the CO₂ fleet targets, Switzerland is ahead of the EU: for importers, e-fuel credits are considerably cheaper than the penalty of CHF 95 per gram of CO₂ per kilometre. In the premium carmaker example, penalties of CHF 18.7 million for 2030 to 2034 compare with a net cost of CHF 11.3 million for e-fuels.
What makes this possible is the full exemption of certified e-fuels from the mineral oil tax. Drivers pay the same at the pump as for fossil fuel (CHF 25 million in the example); the importer only bears the difference between the cost of the e-fuel and the tax exemption. Hoffmann sees a Swiss market of around 1.3 million tonnes of e-methanol worth more than EUR 2 billion by 2030.
Worldwide, Hoffmann put announced e-fuel capacity for 2030 at around 20 billion litres from some 300 projects, 82 per cent of it e-methanol. Yet only 6 per cent of that capacity has reached a final investment decision or is under construction; 76 per cent is still at concept or feasibility stage. The central challenge is financing, held back by counterproductive regulation: no targets beyond 2030, very low quotas, and in road transport e-fuels still do not count in the EU. Combustion engines will nevertheless remain relevant in all segments; EU demand for liquid fuels will still be at 55 per cent of today’s level in 2040.
In the following panel, «Developments in world markets – what they mean for Switzerland», Gianfranco Guidati, Ennio Sinigaglia (Transitgas AG), Achim Schaadt and Lukas Hoffmann discussed the findings, moderated by Peter Metzinger.
World Café: use existing infrastructure, close the financing gap, position internationally
In the afternoon, participants worked through seven thematic stations – in German, French and English – to formulate concrete demands and open questions. Four lines emerged across the stations.
- Security of supply and existing infrastructure. Security of supply should carry more weight in energy policy. Existing energy infrastructure – gas grids, tank farms, compulsory stocks – should not be dismantled but used to keep the cost of Power-to-X down; dismantling it was called a mistake. Blending quotas should apply not only to Power-to-X products in general but also to compulsory stocks. Participants criticised poor coordination between municipalities, cantons and the Confederation, and called for system efficiency rather than isolated technology efficiency.
- Financing – from pilot to bankability. The central gap is scaling from technology readiness level 4 to 8: in Switzerland, this «valley of death» is not financed. Contracts for difference and deficit-guarantee schemes were discussed; participants criticised the lack of clarity on criteria, processes and funding amounts. The insurance industry’s know-how and European programmes such as Horizon should be used more. And in funding, moderation would work better than making companies compete against each other.
- From pilot to market. Upscaling carries technical risks, and the pressure to change is too low: consumers are not willing to pay a premium, nor are offtakers, and investors are holding back.
- Basel region and international cooperation. For the trinational Basel region, participants asked why CO₂ should be shipped at great cost to the North Sea when it is needed locally as a feedstock for a «Green Carbon Valley» – combined with the hope that the Federal Council’s report does not jeopardise Switzerland’s connection to the European Hydrogen Backbone. Since Switzerland alone cannot create a large enough market, it needs international partnerships and should position itself strategically now. With its exemplary legislation, it can influence the EU – and should continue consistently on its path, even when public opinion does not always follow.
SPIN will take these results into the political process.
easyJet: reduce, replace, remove
Jean-Marc Thévenaz, managing director of easyJet Switzerland, presented the airline’s three-pillar roadmap for cutting emissions. Reduce: fleet renewal with the A320neo family – 15 per cent more fuel-efficient and 50 per cent quieter than the previous generation, with more than 290 aircraft on order and around 80 per cent of the fleet by 2034 – plus operational efficiency and a modernisation of European airspace that could save up to 10 per cent of emissions. Replace: sustainable aviation fuel as a central building block. According to easyJet, the requirements of the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation have also applied in Switzerland since 2026; in the EU, the SAF quota rises to 70 per cent by 2050. easyJet currently buys SAF under offtake agreements with its regular fuel suppliers and is exploring options for long-term supply. Remove: for residual emissions, the airline is relying on carbon removal in the long term.
In parallel, easyJet is working with partners on hydrogen aircraft and on the blended-wing concept of US start-up JetZero. The approach combines immediate measures with long-term technologies: it cuts fuel use and emissions with the means available today, replaces fossil fuels step by step with sustainable alternatives and addresses residual emissions in the long run.
Metafuels: ASTM certification completed, first commercial plant in Rotterdam
Saurabh Kapoor, CEO of Metafuels AG in Adliswil, presented aerobrew, a methanol-to-jet process that can turn both e-methanol and bio-methanol into SAF. ASTM certification has been completed, and the demonstration plant – according to Metafuels the world’s first fully integrated methanol-to-jet facility – is about to start operation. The first commercial project, Turbe, in the Port of Rotterdam with 10 tonnes of SAF a day, is in the FEED phase; the final investment decision is planned for the third quarter of 2027 and start of operation for 2030. A second phase of 100 tonnes a day is planned at the same site. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency is supporting project development with EUR 2 million. Kapoor put the SAF market at one trillion euros by 2050.
Asked why Metafuels is based in Switzerland, Kapoor gave a second, less obvious reason besides the innovation-friendly environment: to build production plants, the company needs experienced specialists from the oil industry, and they are hard to attract. It is much easier when they can live and work in Switzerland. The location is therefore also a recruiting argument. You can find our earlier articles on Metafuels here.
OST: green methanol as seasonal energy storage
Prof. Dr Markus Friedl, head of the Institute for Energy Technology (IET) at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, a SPIN member, presented green methanol as an energy carrier that combines high energy density by mass and volume with low storage costs – which makes it suitable for seasonal storage. Green methanol replaces grey and brown methanol as a chemical feedstock, serves as a marine fuel, as a vector for intercontinental hydrogen transport and as a starting material for SAF. According to the Methanol Institute, only 18 bio-methanol and 8 e-methanol plants are operating worldwide.
In Switzerland, a first pilot is being built with the Innosuisse flagship GreenHub at the Horgen waste-to-energy plant (high-temperature electrolysis, methanol and olefin synthesis, methanol fuel cell, project budget CHF 9.6 million until January 2028) – see our recent article on Bassersdorf and Horgen. Green Methanol Zug (1 MW) and the project of Finomics, a SPIN member, at the GETEC SWISS.PARK in Muttenz, also a SPIN member (20 MW), are further projects at an advanced concept stage; replacing diesel at SBB, a SPIN member, and in shipping, as well as SAF production, are being examined as applications. In March 2026, Airborn Fuels Switzerland, a SPIN member, completed a feasibility study for a demonstration and innovation platform for Power-to-Methanol-to-SAF in the Sisslerfeld. One regulatory step forward: since October 2025, the quantity threshold for methanol in the Swiss Major Accidents Ordinance has been 20 instead of 2 tonnes. SPIN, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and SPIN member Powerloop developed new voluntary industry safety standards for methanol to make this possible.
«The processes come to a large extent from Swiss universities and institutes. The question is no longer whether they work, but whether we industrialise them here or leave that to others.»
Markus Friedl, OST
For Friedl, Power-to-X is also a question of security of supply: «Today, Switzerland imports practically all of its liquid and gaseous energy carriers from a few regions of the world. Power-to-X makes it possible to spread this dependence – across domestic production and partners we choose ourselves.»
Closing panel: National Councillor Bäumle sees Parliament in charge
In the closing panel on the place of Power-to-X in the overall net zero energy perspective, National Councillor Martin Bäumle, Markus Friedl (OST) and Matthias Schnellmann (Metafuels) debated under the moderation of Frank Schürch. Bäumle pointed to a contradiction in the Federal Council’s position: «The Federal Council justifies its reluctance on synthetic energy carriers with a lack of data on the subsurface – and at the same time proposes writing off Motion 20.4063, which asks for exactly this data. Parliament can break this circle.»
According to Bäumle, the legal framework is not the problem: «The foundations for defossilisation are laid down in the CO₂ Act and the Climate Act. What is missing is implementation at ordinance level that complies with the law and reflects the will of Parliament. In July, SPIN documented 42 concrete blockages.» The Federal Council’s recent reports and SPIN’s reading of them are summarised in our pre-congress article.
What comes next
«The question is no longer whether Power-to-X works, but whether projects in Switzerland are financed, permitted and built. That is exactly what we worked on today,» said Peter Metzinger, co-managing director of SPIN. Frank Schürch of energie-cluster.ch added: «With the joint congress, we have created the national meeting point the industry needs – across all pathways and language regions.»
SPIN will bring the results of the World Café and the panels into the political process.
We thank all speakers, hosts, partners and participants, our co-organiser energie-cluster.ch and our strategic partner Réseau H2 Suisse Romande. Further information on the congress: Power-to-X Congress Switzerland 2026.
Source: press release by energie-cluster.ch and SPIN, «Power-to-X Kongress Schweiz 2026: eFuels statt Sanktionen – Schweizer Autoimporteure können Millionen sparen», Bern, 24 September 2026; presentations at the Power-to-X Congress Switzerland 2026, Kursaal Bern, 22 September 2026. Photos: Power-to-X Congress Switzerland 2026.
🤖 AI transparency: This text was created using AI, reviewed and approved by a human. The photos were taken at the congress.