Cooking oil part-fuels AF/KLM flight from Paris to Montreal
AIR FRANCE/KLM (AF/KLM) has taken an environmental leap forward in its vision of an economically-viable French aviation bio-fuels sector — by conducting its first long-haul flight powered partly by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
In partnership with multi-energy company Total, airport operator Groupe ADP and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the passengers and cargo combination carrier has transported shipments comprising mostly of pharmaceuticals, fresh fish and industrial equipment from Paris CdG to Montreal, Canada.
“The 16 per cent blend on this flight avoided the emission of 20 tonnes of CO2,” the airline reveals. “This is a tangible result of the four groups’ shared ambitions to de-carbonise air transportation and to develop a SAF supply chain in France — a prerequisite to the generalisation of their use in French airports,” outlines a statement.
The bio-fuel contribution for the historic flight was produced by Total, which utilised non-virgin, plant-based cooking oils, according to details supplied by its La Mède bio-refinery in southern France and its Oudalle factory near Le Havre.
Air France says the alternative fuel is the first ‘100 per cent French SAF’, and points out that it has received approval certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System (ISCC-EU), a EU sustainability standards organisation. “The 16 per cent blend on this flight avoided the emission of 20 tonnes of CO2,” the airline insists.
“By developing and supporting France’s first industrial SAF production, Air France-KLM, Total, Groupe ADP and Airbus are paving the way for France to drive innovation in the energy and environmental transition,” the company statement adds.
Sustainable aviation fuel has been found to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from air transportation — and can be utilised without any need to modify existing supply chain infrastructure, aircraft or engines. Benjamin Smith, chief executive of Air France/KLM, insists: “For many years, the Air France/KLM Group has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint. Together with the renewal of our fleet, sustainable aviation fuels constitute our main lever in the medium-term for reducing our CO2 emissions per passenger/cargo/km by half by 2030.
“Alongside eco-piloting and achieving carbon-neutral ground operations, these actions are central to our strategy. France currently has the opportunity to position itself as a leader in the production and use of sustainable fuels and, with our partners, we are doing everything possible to contribute to this. Supporting the emergence of an economically viable French aviation biofuel sector for all the parties involved is a strategic priority for the country and the group,” he adds.
According to Airbus, the A350 utilised for the landmark French eco-fuel flight normally consumes 25 per cent less fuel than its predecessor, and it also benefited from an array of eco-friendly new developments at the airport: the aircraft was serviced by the first electric re-fuelling truck developed by Total and the ground operations equipment utilised by Air France was powered by electricity.
Guillaume Faury, chief executive of Airbus, outlines: “Sustainable fuels are a major lever for achieving our objectives of decarbonising the aviation sector, and Airbus supports all initiatives that contribute to their development and use on commercial flights. Co-ordinated action by all stakeholders is needed to increase the share of these sustainable fuels, which can be used today on up to 50 per cent of our aircraft, without any modification or operational impact, thereby reducing their environmental footprint,” he adds.
France’s environmental targets for its aviation sector are amongst the most ambitious in the world, with new legislation that aims to eventually replace jet kerosene and which, in a scaling up programme, initially requires aircraft to employ at least one per cent bio-jet fuel by 2022, two per cent by 2025, five per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent in 2050.
Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and chief executive of Total, recognises the important changes which lie ahead. “After successfully launching production of sustainable aviation fuels at our facilities in France last March, we are continuing to adapt our industrial facilities to prepare for the growing demand from the aviation industry in the coming decade,” he says. “By directly reducing the carbon intensity of the energy products used by our aviation industry customers, together with society we are actively working with them to achieve our ambition to get to net zero by 2050.”
AF/KLM has been a pioneer in the testing and trialling of sustainable aviation fuels. KLM made its first SAF-powered flight in 2009. Since then, the airline group has conducted a number of similar air transport green initiatives including conducting 78 Total-produced SAF Air France passenger flights.
In January this year, AF/KLM Martinair Cargo and global freight forwarder Kuehne + Nagel (K + N) joined forces to launch the first ever carbon-neutral airfreight route between North America and Europe. That arrangement will see all K + N cargo on board AF/KLM flights from Los Angeles to Amsterdam operated with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
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This story first appeared on aircargoeye.com on 19 May 2021
