Neste, ITOCHU, and GS Caltex deliver SAF at Narita Airport

A partnership between Neste, ITOCHU Corporation, and GS Caltex has brought the first batch of CORSIA-eligible sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Narita International Airport, Japan.

The collaboration involved Neste supplying over 1,000 tons of neat SAF to GS Caltex’s refinery in South Korea.

This SAF was then blended with conventional jet fuel and transported to Japan, where ITOCHU made it available for purchase by airlines.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) will be the initial recipients of this CORSIA-certified SAF. The availability of this fuel ahead of the mandatory phase of the CORSIA in 2027 provides airlines with a tangible opportunity to reduce their carbon emissions.

“SAF is a readily available solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. CORSIA-eligible SAF provides airlines like ANA and JAL an opportunity to credibly reduce aviation emissions,” said Alexander Kueper, vice president, renewable aviation business, Neste.

Tetsuya Yamada, executive officer and chief operating officer of Energy Division at ITOCHU Corporation, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in addressing the SAF shortage in Japan and supporting the decarbonisation efforts of the industry.

H. Lee, Executive Vice President of Supply & Trading Business Unit at GS Caltex, highlighted the partnership’s role in achieving aviation’s net-zero carbon emissions goal. “Moving forward, GS Caltex will further expand its cooperation with partners, Neste and Itochu, to contribute to the decarbonization of the aviation industry in Korea, Japan and globally,” he said.

Earlier this week, Finnish refiner Neste revised its 2024 guidance for renewable products citing significant decline in diesel prices and relatively unchanged feedstock prices during the third quarter.