TheNetherlands – Air France-KLM has signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to purchase 1.5 million tons of SAF over the next 10 years. It is one of the largest off-take contracts for SAF for Air France-KLM to date. In 2022 and 2023, the airline was the world’s largest SAF user.
The two parties already signed a letter of intent for the supply of 800 thousand tons of SAF in 2022. This agreement has now been extended. The contract fits into Air France-KLM’s ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2019. To this end, the company is deploying a number of measures: it is renewing its fleet, it is deploying intelligent ways of flying such as eco-piloting and it is using at least 10 percent sustainable aviation fuel on its flights.
More SAF in aviation
The SAF that Air France-KLM buys from TotalEnergies is made from waste and residues and is produced in French and other European refineries and biorefineries. The fuel is used on flights from France and the Netherlands and other European countries.
TotalEnergies and Air France-KLM have been working together for 10 years to test SAF and increase its application in aviation. The two parties collaborated in the two-year “Lab’line for the Future” project in 2014, testing the use of 10% SAF on Air France KLM flights between Paris and Toulouse and Nice.
Investments
TotalEnergies is investing in SAF production at several sites. It is converting its Grandpuits refinery into a zero-oil platform. The company will be able to produce 210,000 tons of SAF per year here from 2025 and an additional 75,000 tons from 2027. The operation involves an investment of 400 million euros. The company already produces SAF at its Gonfreville refinery in Normandy. TotalEnergies plans to increase its production to 160,000 tons by 2025. In La Mède, the company is investing 340 million euros to convert the refinery into a biorefinery. It is also investing 70 million euros to produce SAF from waste streams by 2025. Since 2021, TotalEnergies’ site in Oudalle has already been using biodiesel from La Mède to produce SAF.
