Singapore Airlines said on Monday it should buy 1,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Neste, marking its first purchase of low-emission jet fuel from the Finnish company’s refinery in town.
The leading Asian carrier has signed an agreement with Neste to buy SAF to mix it with conventional fuel for the airline and its budget subsidiary Scoot, in accordance with a joint statement issued by the three corporations.
Last 12 months, the expansion of the Neste refinery in Changi was accomplished and it now has a production capability of a million tonnes of sustainable jet fuel per 12 months, making it the most important facility of its type on the earth.
The statement said Neste will begin supplying SAF to the fuel hydrant system at Changi Airport within the second quarter after which within the fourth quarter.
SAFs are comprised of 100% renewable raw materials and waste, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80% over all the fuel life cycle.
“The delivery of locally produced SAF to Changi Airport is a significant milestone in our journey to support the aviation industry and governments in the region in achieving emissions reduction targets,” said Alexander Kueper, vice chairman of renewable aviation at Neste.
He hoped this could encourage “wider adoption of SAF within the broader Asia-Pacific region.”
Singapore said in February that as a part of industry plans to cut back emissions, it should require airlines flying overseas to regularly use low-emission jet fuel from 2026.
Airlines might be required to make use of a jet fuel mix of 1.0% SAF in 2026, regularly increasing to three.0-5.0% by 2030. SAF can comprise as much as 50% of jet fuel blends.
However, JPKs are three to 5 times dearer than conventional jet fuel, so authorities will introduce a ticket levy to assist mitigate the prices.
Aviation accounts for 2 to 3 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions, nevertheless it is one of the difficult industries to decarbonize.
SAFs are seen as a serious tool for decarbonizing the aviation sector, but beyond costs, the technology remains to be in its infancy.
The International Civil Aviation Organization has set a goal for the industry to attain net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
