Air France-KLM Signs Deal for 1.9 Billion Liters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel with TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies, one of the world’s largest energy companies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Air France-KLM for the delivery of an additional 1.5 million tons, or nearly 1.9 billion liters, of sustainable aviation fuel over a 10-year period until 2035.
The new deal builds on a contract that was signed between the companies in 2022, in which TotalEnergies committed to supply 800,000 tons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) over a 10-year period, beginning in 2023. SAF allows for a reduction in CO₂ emissions by at least 75% and up to 90% over the entire fuel life cycle, compared with fossil fuel equivalents, the company said.
The SAF is largely used by Air France-KLM Group’s airlines for flights departing from France (in accordance with French legislation) and the Netherlands. Beginning in 2025, all flights originating in European airports will be required to utilize a minimum percentage of SAF, beginning with 2% of all fuel used in 2025 and rising to 70% by 2050.
By 2030, Air France-KLM aims to reduce its CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 30% from 2019 levels. The organization aims to achieve this goal through a combination of fleet renewal, operational measures such as eco-piloting, and the incorporation of at least 10% of more sustainable aviation fuel on all its flights, going even further than regulatory obligations.
Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM Group, said:
“Securing the volumes of more sustainable aviation fuel needed to decarbonize our activity is a major challenge. 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.”
The SAF supplied to Air France-KLM will be made from waste and residues from the circular economy and will be produced in TotalEnergies’ French and European biorefineries, and in other refineries that do coprocessing. Feedstocks, including agricultural waste, are a premier source for SAF, but the fuel supplied by TotalEnergies is derived from sources that do not compete with human food or animal feed, as required by Air France-KLM policy, TotalEnergies said. In addition, the fuel will be certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) or the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification organization for sustainability.
TotalEnergies last year announced new targets to scale production of sustainable aviation fuel, including an expectation to reach capacity of 500,000 tons per year by 2028, and a goal to produce 1.5 million tons per year by 2030.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said:
“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 coprocessing technologies in our refineries. Building on these industrial successes, we intend to continue this momentum in Europe and worldwide.”