Air bp and Neste to boost supply of sustainable aviation fuel in Europe

Air bp and Neste have signed an agreement to offer five times the volume of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to airport customers in 2020 and 2021 compared with last year’s level. Air bp will supply the Neste-produced SAF from selected airports in Europe, with deliveries to Scandinavian airports Stockholm (ARN) and Oslo (OSL) expected to begin within weeks.

Neste’s SAF is produced from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials. Over the fuel’s lifecycle it can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared with conventional jet fuel. SAF undergoes the same quality tests as fossil jet fuel and can be blended at up to 50%.

The increase in SAF supplies was said to be in response to stronger demand from existing and new airline customers. Also Norway requires SAF to account for 0.5% of all jet fuel sales.

Martin Thomsen, Air bp’s CEO, said: “bp’s ambition is to be a net zero company by 2050, or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. Air bp aims to support our customers and the wider aviation industry on their path to meet their low carbon goals. We believe sustainable aviation fuel will play an important role as the industry recovers from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through our successful ongoing collaboration with Neste, we are pleased to be able to offer our customers a substantially increased volume of SAF as they work towards reducing their emissions.”

Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel capacity is currently 100,000t per year. However, with Singapore refinery expansion underway, and with the possibility of investment into its Rotterdam refinery, Neste could have the capacity to produce about 1.5m tons of SAF annually in three years’ time.

Thorsten Lange, executive Vice President, Renewable Aviation at Neste, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and its economic implications have not changed our ambition. We remain fully committed to combating climate change by providing tangible, immediately available solutions for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of flying in cooperation with our partners. The use of sustainable aviation fuel will play a significant role in the industry’s ongoing efforts in making air transportation fit for the climate and environmental challenges it is facing. We are looking forward to continuing our close collaboration with Air bp and jointly contributing to a more sustainable aviation.”