In the Netherlands, Shell Aviation and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA) have signed a long-term agreement to blend sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on all aircraft fuelled at the airport, starting in 2024.
On top of the European blending mandate of 6 percent, RTHA will accelerate its efforts by setting itself a minimum extra target of 8 percent to meet the more ambitious goal of the Dutch aviation sector of 14 percent by 2030.
Using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is among the few measures currently available to reduce emissions from international aviation.
Sustainable fuel is essential for the future of aviation. This long-term agreement makes it possible for Shell to invest in production facilities while allowing airlines to gradually adapt to a new reality, said Wilma van Dijk, CEO at RTHA.
Benefits of SAF
The added part of sustainable fuel can lead to a fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction of on average 80 percent across the chain compared to conventional jet fuel.
In addition, sustainable fuel leads to a reduction of soot and ultrafine particle emissions, which at higher percentages of blending, improves air quality.
It’s fantastic to support Rotterdam The Hague Airport on decarbonizing flights through the use of SAF. It is particularly encouraging to see an airport committing to long-term SAF agreements, for volumes above the levels required under EU mandates. This type of ambition helps play an important role in providing strong, stable demand that is necessary for scaling up the supply and use of SAF, said Jan Toschka, President of Shell Aviation.
Shell is building an 820,000-tonnes-a-year advanced biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, which will produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste, oils, and fats.
Phasing in SAF
For the moment, SAF is still much more costly than fossil kerosene. For this reason, and because large-scale production of SAF has yet to take off, it is important to phase in additional blending requirements.
RTHA has chosen to sign a long-term agreement with Shell in order to offer transparency on the growth path and cost for the users at the airport.
More blending necessary to meet targets
As a result of the European blending mandate, the aviation sector must blend in 2 percent SAF across the board by 2025. The target for 2030 is 6 percent.
However, this is not enough to meet the Dutch aviation sector’s more ambitious target of 14 percent SAF by 2030, as set out in the Sustainable Aviation Agreement.
RTHA wants to speed things up by raising the target for 2024 by an additional 2 percentage points. This will be followed by incremental yearly increases of at least one percentage point until 2030, making for a total additional increase of minimal 8 percentage points by 2030, on top of the statutory 6 percent.
Thanks to this extra blending push, the 14 percent SAF target will be met at Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
