Air France-KLM and TotalEnergies expand SAF partnership
Air France-KLM Group and TotalEnergies have announced a significant expansion of their partnership to accelerate the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Under the terms of a new agreement, TotalEnergies will supply Air France-KLM with up to 1.5m tons of SAF over a 10-year period.
This agreement builds upon a previous memorandum of understanding signed in 2022, which called for the supply of 800,000 tons of SAF.
The SAF supplied to Air France-KLM will be produced from waste and residues at TotalEnergies’ refineries in France and Europe.
The airline said that it has has implemented a strict sourcing policy, ensuring that the SAF it purchases is second-generation and does not compete with food production.
The SAF will also be certified by RSB or ISCC+, guaranteeing its sustainability.
The partnership between Air France-KLM and TotalEnergies dates back to 2014, when the two companies conducted a joint experiment to test the use of SAF in commercial flights. Since then, they have continued to collaborate on SAF initiatives, including participation in the French government’s Call for Expressions of Interest to promote the development of a domestic SAF industry.
TotalEnergies is investing significantly in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production across France and Europe.
In Grandpuits, the energy giant is investing €400m to transform the site into a zero-oil platform, targeting 210,000 tons of SAF production by 2025 and an additional 75,000 tons by 2027. It plans to increase SAF production at the Gonfreville refinery in Normandy to 160,000 tons per year by 2025.
Moreover, the company also has plans to invest €340m in La Mède to transform the refinery into a biorefinery, with an additional €70m investment for 100% waste processing and SAF production by 2025.
In total, TotalEnergies aims to increase SAF production in France and Europe by over 600,000 tons by 2027.
Air France-KLM Group was one of the leading global airlines in terms of SAF usage. The airline announced that it incorporated 80,000 metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in flight operations to reduce overall carbon emissions during 2023, double from the 2022 levels.