French project developer Verso Energy has signed a co-operation agreement with the Finnish city of Oulu to work on a €1.4bn ($1.47bn) facility processing green hydrogen into synthetic aviation fuels, or “e-SAF”.

Oulu’s government will advance the zoning of the city port’s green transition industrial area to fit the project, which could produce 80,000 tonnes of e-SAF per year.

“In Finland, the zoning process can run parallel to a company’s project planning, offering more flexibility compared to some other countries,” said Marko Kilpeläinen, director of urban environment services for the city government.