Neste refinery in The Netherlands prepares for SAF demand increase
Finnish giant Neste is preparing to significantly boost production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its Rotterdam production facility. The refinery is almost ready to start feeding airlines' thirst for clean fuel.
In its Rotterdam SAF refinery, Neste, the largest global producer of SAF, uses cooking oil and animal fat. Sustainable aviation fuels are being made from different sources such as municipal waste, leftovers from the agricultural and forestry industry, crops and plants, and even hydrogen.
Zawya, a newswire that focuses on business and financial news from the Middle East, reports that these technologies are still developing and the end product is more expensive. SAF will help airlines reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Facing the huge and increasing demand, Matti Lehmus, CEO of Neste, said: "We'll be growing drastically our production from 100,000 tonnes to 1.5 million tonnes next year.” The report states that demand will increase further on the news that the European Union plans to impose the use of a minimum amount of sustainable aviation fuel by airlines, rising from two percent in 2025 to six percent in 2030 and at least 63 percent in 2050.
Neste has another site for SAF in Singapore which will start production in April. "With the production facilities of Neste in Rotterdam and Singapore, we can meet the mandate for EU in 2025," said Jonathan Wood, Neste’s vice president for renewable aviation.
