TotalEnergies and Air France-KLM have signed a contract for the supply of 1.5 million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over the next 10 years, until 2035. This agreement is one of the largest SAF purchase contracts that the Air France-KLM Group has signed to date. In 2022 and 2023, Air France-KLM was the world’s largest SAF user, consuming 17 and 16 percent of its global production, respectively.
Accelerating the decarbonization process of air transport in Europe
The aforementioned agreement is based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2022 for the delivery of 800,000 tons of SAF. After a reevaluation of the agreement, the parties confirmed their commitment to accelerating actions to reduce the impact of the aviation sector on the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.
The Air France KLM Group is striving to reduce its environmental impact by implementing more efficient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), replacing its fleet, and optimizing flight operations, including eco-piloting. The airline has set ambitious goals that go beyond regulatory requirements, namely a 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019 and increasing the share of SAF in total fuel used to 10 percent.
The contracted sustainable aviation fuel will be produced in the biorefineries and refineries of TotalEnergies in France and Europe from waste derived from agriculture and forestry in a circular economy. The airlines belonging to the Air France – KLM Group will be conducting flights from France, the Netherlands, and other European countries using this fuel. The development of the SAF segment is an important element in the transformation strategy of TotalEnergies, which aims to meet the growing demand of the aviation sector for this type of fuel.
Air France-KLM adheres to strict sourcing rules, committing to the purchase of second-generation SAF, whose production does not compete with food production and has an RSB or ISCC+ certification for sustainable development. Compared to conventional fossil fuel, SAF used by Air France-KLM allows a reduction in CO2 emissions of at least 75 – up to 90 percent throughout its life cycle.
Long-term partnership between TotalEnergies and Air France-KLM
For 10 years, TotalEnergies and the Air France-KLM Group have been collaborating in the field of testing and implementing SAF in flight operations. This partnership began in 2014 with the “Lab’line for the Future” project. This was a two-year experiment in which 78 Air France flights between Paris-Orly and airports in Toulouse and Nice were powered by a mix of 10 percent SAF obtained from TotalEnergies.
SAF Production in France and Europe
TotalEnergies is heavily investing in projects aimed at producing more sustainable aviation fuel in France and other European countries. These include:
– A production plant in Grandpuits: TotalEnergies has invested 400 million euros to transform the plant into a platform without the use of crude oil. By 2025, it plans to produce 210,000 tons of SAF and an additional 75,000 tons by 2027.
– A project in Normandy: TotalEnergies has started SAF production in its refinery in Gonfreville. By 2025, the company aims to produce up to 160,000 tons of SAF annually.
– A production plant in La Mède: TotalEnergies has invested 340 million euros to transform the existing refinery into a biorefinery. Then, in 2024, the company invested an additional 70 million euros to start SAF production by 2025, based entirely on circular economy waste.
– TotalEnergies is also exploring the possibility of SAF production based on co-processing in its other European refineries, which could start before 2025.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/air-france-klm-podpisuje-umowe-z-totalenergies-na-dostawe-15-mln-ton-saf-86642
