Verso Energy and Q8Aviation announce agreement for eSAF supply

French eSAF producer Verso Energy signed an agreement to collaborate on supplying fuel to Q8Aviation, the aviation fuel business of Kuwait Petroleum International.

The eSAF will be produced at Verso Energy’s DEZiR facility in Normandy, France. The duration and amount of fuel supplied to Q8Aviation has not been announced.

“Being selected by a major international fuel supplier like Q8Aviation to help power its long-term eSAF strategy in Europe is a vote of confidence in the maturity of the DEZiR project,” said Romain Verdier, Deputy CEO, Verso Energy. “This collaboration with Q8Aviation marks a major step forward for the DEZiR project as we move towards the final investment stage — and for Europe as it builds the capacity to produce its own eSAF, at scale and on its own soil.”

The agreement supports Q8Aviation’s preparation for the ReFuelEU SAF mandate, which includes a dub-mandate for eSAF from 2030. Q8Aviation supplies fuel to more than 75 airports across Europe, Middle East and Asia.

“This agreement marks an important step in Q8Aviation’s strategy to secure long-term access to eSAF for our customers,” says Adam Harrison, commercial director, Q8Aviation. “By working with Verso Energy, we aim to support the development of European eSAF production capacity while helping our customers meet their regulatory obligations and decarbonisation objectives.”

This is an important step in the project as bankable offtakes are crucial for project development progression. Verso Energy’s DEZiR has already secured a grant from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund as well as an equity investment from Technip Energies.

This agreement includes scope to expand the collaboration to Verso’s broader energy portfolio, subject to market developments.