Air France-KLM ramps up SAF offtake agreement with TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies to supply up to 1.5 million tonnes of SAF to Air France-KLM over a 10-year period.
TotalEnergies and Air France-KLM have signed an agreement for TotalEnergies to supply up to 1.5 million tonnes of more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Air France-KLM Group airlines over a 10-year period, until 2035.
The agreement marks one the largest SAF purchase contracts signed by Air France-KLM to date, says an official release. "In 2022 and 2023, Air France-KLM was the world's leading SAF user, representing 17 percent and 16 percent of total global production, respectively."
The contract builds on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2022 for the supply of 800,000 tonnes of SAF, the release added. "By re-evaluating the agreement, the two groups are reaffirming their objective to curb the environmental impact of the air transport sector as quickly as possible by reducing CO2 emissions."
By 2030, Air France-KLM aims to reduce its CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 30 percent compared with 2019 levels through a combination of fleet renewal, operational measures such as eco-piloting and the incorporation of at least 10 percent more SAF on all its flights.
“Securing the volumes of more sustainable aviation fuel needed to decarbonise our activity is a major challenge," says Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Air France-KLM Group. "This agreement with TotalEnergies is a further step in this direction, and a testament to our long-standing support for the development of SAF production in France and Europe. A solid SAF sector capable of meeting our industry’s needs is a key factor in Europe’ sovereignty and energy independence."
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO, TotalEnergies adds: "SAF contributes both to the energy transition of our customers in the aviation sector and to the industrial transition of our refineries. It therefore represents a real 'win-win' for the future of industry and aviation. For the past 10 years, we have been pioneers in the field, investing in biorefineries and SAF production facilities in France as well as developing co-processing technologies in our refineries. Building on these industrial successes, we intend to continue this momentum in Europe and worldwide.”
The SAF supplied to Air France-KLM will be made from waste and residues from the circular economy. It will be produced in TotalEnergies' French and European biorefineries and refineries by coprocessing. The SAF will be used to fuel flights operated by Air France-KLM’s airlines on departure from France, the Netherlands, and other European countries, the release added.
