The EU’s targets are ambitious, but we’ve already taken essential steps to ensure we’ll be ready to fulfill the 2025 blending mandate of 2% in our core markets of Austria, Germany, and Romania.

We began laying the groundwork in 2022, when we started producing SAF from used cooking oil. Partnering with other early movers like Austrian Airlines (Lufthansa Group), Ryanair, Air France-KLM, and Wizz Air, we introduced it into the supply chain and ensured a ready supply at Schwechat airport. Since then, we’ve been gearing up for the next wave, signing Memorandums of Understanding with numerous airline partners across Europe to supply substantial volumes of SAF until at least 2030.

In addition, we’ve created SAF Business Solutions, an innovative program that allows companies to reduce their scope 3 emissions from air travel and freight using certificates. Unlike traditional offsetting programs that depend on carbon credits and external projects, SAF Business Solutions ensures that companies make a direct and measurable difference in the aviation industry's carbon footprint.

As the blending mandates increase over time, production capacity will need to be expanded to stay ahead of demand. We’re scaling up our infrastructure to meet these requirements, with a strong pipeline of projects in place. Our recently announced large-scale plant at our Petrobrazi refinery in Romania will have a production capacity of 250 metric kilotons per year of combined SAF and renewable diesel by 2028, positioning us as the first major producer of sustainable fuels in Southeast Europe.

SAF is not a silver bullet. Decarbonizing aviation will require a multifaceted approach: Governments need to create the right decarbonization incentives, engine manufacturers need to increase the efficiency of engines, and OEMs need to produce the most fuel-efficient models possible. Nevertheless, SAF must play a pivotal role in our approach, as it offers a proven path to reducing emissions swiftly and effectively.

Is sustainable aviation fuel the key to decarbonizing aviation?