Corteva, bp team up to launch SAF feedstock JV Etlas

Pure-play agriculture company Corteva and energy major bp have announced plans to setup a 50:50 joint venture Etlas to produce oil from crops to be used as feedstock for production of sustainable aviation fuel and other biofuels.

“As the aviation industry looks for reliable, sustainable and cost-competitive sources of SAF, it is clear farmers have a critical role to play,” said Etlas CEO, Ignacio Conti who previously held the role of global business development director at Corteva.

Etlas will use Corteva’s expertise in seed technology to develop crops ideally suited to produce SAF and RD as well as bp’s expertise in refining and marketing fuel for the commercial transportation market.

“This capital light joint venture creates optionality in our biofuels value chain, strengthening our position and helping deliver attractive returns. We’re excited to collaborate with Corteva to deliver what our customers want,” said Philipp Schoelzel, senior vice president, biofuels growth, bp.

Etlas aims to produce one million metric tonnes of feedstock per year by the mid-2030s, which could produce over 800 thousand tonnes of biofuel.

Initial supply is scheduled to begin in 2027 for use in co-processing at refineries as well as at dedicated biofuels plants.

Industry estimates global demand for SAF at 10m tonnes by 2030 – from about 1m tonnes in 2024. Etlas is designed to provide scalable supply of feedstock to help meet this expected demand.

The feedstock Etlas uses will be harvested from crops that are grown on existing cropland, between main food cropping seasons. Such intermediate crops can help improve soil health while providing farmers with a new revenue stream. As they use existing cropland during times when it has previously been unproductive like a fallow or cover period, they also do not lead to additional demand for land.