Atlas Air is incorporating 5% SAF in all its flights, making it the first cargo airline to use SAF regularly on cargo flights from Spain.
The initiative is in line with commitments to achieve carbon footprint reduction goals and to comply with anticipated measures included in the ReFuelEU Aviation regulations that require the use of 2% renewable fuel in 2025, 6% in 2030 and 70% in 2050.
Oliver Fernandez, Director of International Aviation at Repsol, says, “With this agreement, we take another step in the decarbonisation of aviation. We show that SAF is the future, but also the present. With the upcoming launch of our new advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena (Spain), we are ready to supply the sector with the SAF it needs to realise its decarbonisation ambitions.”
The agreement aims to enhance local SAF production, both for refinery capacity and sourcing raw materials with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector.
Aena, which manages Zaragoza Airport, is promoting SAF and encouraging its production and consumption.
Repsol will start up its first plant dedicated exclusively to producing advanced biofuels in the Iberian Peninsula in the coming weeks at its industrial complex in Cartagena, which will have a production capacity of 250,000 tons of SAF and renewable diesel per year.
The SAF and renewable diesel will be produced from various types of residue, mainly used cooking oil and waste from the agri-food industry, and will reduce 900,000 tons of CO2 per year.