
Total has commenced the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its La Mède biorefinery and its Oudalle facility in France. The biojet fuel, made from used cooking oil, will be delivered to French airports starting in April 2021.
From 2024, Total will also be able to produce SAF at its zero-crude Grandpuits platform, southeast of Paris.
The SAFs will be made from animal fat, used cooking oil and other waste and residue sourced from the circular economy. Total will not use vegetable oils as feedstock.
In this way, Total will be in a position to respond from its production sites in France to new French legislation that calls for aircraft to use at least 1 per cent biojet fuel by 2022, 2 per cent by 2025 and 5 per cent by 2030.
The development of SAF is one of the strategic paths being pursued by Total to meet the challenge of carbon neutrality, as biojet fuels help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from air transportation.
President of Refining and Chemicals at Total, Bernard Pinatel, said: “By producing sustainable aviation fuel at our French sites today, we are able to respond to strong demand from an aviation industry looking to reduce its carbon footprint, while adapting our industrial resources.”
“As a broad energy company, we support our customers by providing innovative solutions to reduce their emissions. This commitment is fully aligned with Total’s climate ambition to get to net zero emissions by 2050.”
Total is involved in numerous initiatives to produce and market SAFs in partnership with aviation industry partners. The group will reach a new milestone in May 2021 with the creation of a dedicated Renewable Fuels Business Unit.