ABB on why standardisation is critical to scaling eSAF.

Many promising clean energy technologies never make it beyond the pilot stage. They don't fail because they don't work. They fail because they can't scale and get stuck in the pilot phase. ABB's job in the eSAF ecosystem is to make sure that doesn't happen here.   

In Simo Säynevirta’s words, ABB’s role in the eSAF ecosystem is that of an enabler. As Head of ABB’s H2 Springboard programme, he focuses on how electrification, automation and digitalisation together form the foundation that enables the scaling of a promising solution into a real industry. Without intelligent, energy-efficient and reliable platform technology,  eSAF risks remaining  where many energy innovations get stuck: in the pilot phase. 

“What drew ABB into this ecosystem driven by Liquid Sun was its structure. Rather than simply developing a technology, the ecosystem is building an entire value chain where each participant has a clearly defined role. For ABB, this reflects the kind of ecosystem thinking needed to move the energy transition beyond isolated demonstrations and towards industrial-scale deployment”,  Säynevirta says.  

The opportunity is significant. While electrification is transforming many industries, long-haul aviation needs another path to net zero. That's where eSAF can make a lasting impact.  Electrofuels  such as eSAF offer the only realistic pathway forward, provided they can be produced efficiently and at scale. 

For ABB, the key to that scale lies in standardisation and repeatability. We should not design solutions as first-of-a-kind after the technology has been validated.  Instead, processes should be modular and replicable, enabling proven solutions to be deployed again and again.  

“Every repetition reduces risk, shortens implementation time and improves cost-efficiency”, Säynevirta explains.  

The challenges ahead are clear: cost, infrastructure and market development must all progress together. Addressing them will require technological innovation, operational efficiency and strong ecosystem collaboration. When solutions are designed to be integrated and replicated from the outset, scaling becomes significantly easier. 

Ultimately, ABB sees eSAF as a practical example of what the energy transition looks like in action. Electrification and digitalisation are not simply supporting technologies - they build new industrial value chains. And as Säynevirta puts it, no single organisation can solve a transition of this scale alone.

Next in the series: Fortum on the renewable energy infrastructure required for eSAF production.