Finland-headed oil refiner and renewable products major Neste Oyj has announced that it will provide up to 1 million gallons (3,000 tonnes) of "Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel" to United Airlines for use at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in the United States (US) through the end of 2024.
This expansion of the existing partnership between the two companies enables United Airlines to become the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for operational use for flights from Chicago O’Hare (ORD), one of the busiest airports in the United States.
The first supply of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel blended with conventional jet fuel will arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport via pipeline in August from Neste’s newly commissioned SAF terminal capacity in Houston, Texas (TX), which expands the availability of Neste’s SAF to airlines that operate at airports east of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the East Coast.
We are excited to expand our partnership with United and see our SAF being used at one of the major airports in the U.S. It underlines our commitment to supporting the U.S. aviation industry in its efforts to decarbonize and shows the important role that policy supports like the federal SAF 40B credit and the Illinois’ SAF Purchase Credit play in accelerating SAF usage. We continue supporting United’s roadmap to achieve its emission goals and look forward to expanding our cooperation at other airports across the globe, said Alexander Kueper, VP of Renewable Aviation Business at Neste.
Illinois SAF Purchase Credit
In 2023, Illinois introduced a SAF purchase credit for every gallon of SAF sold to or used by an air carrier in the state.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Illinois ranked fifth in the nation for jet fuel consumption in 2022.
The new tax credit positions Illinois at the forefront of encouraging SAF adoption.
This is what happens when innovation, leadership, and policy come together. While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth – SAF at O’Hare was made possible thanks to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives, said Brett Hart, President of United Airlines who was at ORD on July 31, 2024, with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The delivery of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to United at ORD builds on Neste’s long-term partnership with the airline.
In 2022, Neste announced the supply of 2.5 million gallons (7,500 tonnes) of SAF to United at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) in the Netherlands, followed by another announcement in 2023 of providing 1.5 million gallons (4,500 tonnes) of SAF to fuel all of United’s departing flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in California (CA).
