Ireland-headed low-cost air carrier Ryanair Group (Ryanair) and Shell International Petroleum Co Ltd, part of global oil, gas, and energy super major Shell plc (Shell) have announced the signing of a Memo of Understanding (MoU) to advance the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at over 200 Ryanair airports across Europe, with a particular focus on SAF supply at the air carrier's largest bases like Dublin Airport (DUB), and London Stansted Airport (STN).
While SAF is a key enabler of aviation decarbonization, it currently accounts for just a small fraction of worldwide jet fuel usage.
This agreement with Shell gives Ryanair potential access to 360 000 tonnes of SAF between 2025 and 2030.
The SAF that is covered by this MoU could potentially be produced from multiple different technology pathways and a broad range of sustainable feedstocks.
Ryanair has set targets of 12.5 percent SAF by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
SAF plays a key role in our Pathway to Net Zero strategy, and also our commitment to a target of 12.5 percent SAF by 2030. Today’s agreement with Shell helps Ryanair secure access to circa 20 percent of this ambitious goal. Shell is a key sustainability partner for Ryanair, and we look forward to building on this collaboration with Shell as our Group grows sustainably to carry 225 million passengers annually by FY26, said Thomas Fowler, Sustainability Director at Ryanair.
The agreement was signed at the Sustainable Aviation Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland on December 1, 2022, where Ryanair and TCD held an Aviation Sustainability Day.
The MoU “demonstrates both Ryanair and Shell’s commitment to work together to invest in SAF supply fuels.”
It is fantastic to build on our existing relationship with Ryanair to now look at what we can achieve together on sustainability. This initial agreement demonstrates that both companies recognize that SAF is the key to unlocking a net zero future for aviation. We share the same ambition to enable Ryanair’s passengers to fly lower carbon. Leadership and bold actions are needed to accelerate the decarbonization of flight, and today’s announcement is a great example of this, said Jan Toschka, President of Shell Aviation.
