Chane’s SAF Unit 4 to begin operations in 2025

Chane Terminal Botlek announced that development work to expand its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) handling capacity through the development of a new distillation and storage facility SAF Unit 4 in Rotterdam, Netherlands is progressing smoothly and is expected to be completed in early 2025.

Michiel Flier, business unit director at Chane, expressed the growing excitement surrounding the SAF market.

“Now we are getting to an interesting point where this niche market is scaling up to a real commodity market, with more and more SAF being used in the coming years to make flying more sustainable,” Flier said.

The European Union’s mandate for 2% of all jet fuel to be SAF by 2025, increasing to 6% by 2030, is driving the demand for sustainable fuels.

Bram van Roermund, business development manager, provided insights into the construction process. “In the past few months, we have been maintaining and adapting a significant number of tanks to store SAF and jet fuel. Those tanks are now almost ready,” said Bram van Roermund, business development manager, on the progress of construction. “The focus now is mainly on installing equipment and instrumentation and connecting piping.”

The company said its new Unit 4 incorporates improvements based on lessons learned from previous projects, enhancing efficiency and flexibility.

Van Roermund emphasised the unique value proposition that Chane offers. “The technology around SAF is well known to us”, he said. “We have been distilling and operating for four years without any problems, and we have always delivered the product according to specification.”

As the construction of SAF Unit 4 nears completion, Chane Terminal Botlek is poised to play a pivotal role in driving the transition to sustainable aviation.