MOL Group begins coprocessing SAF at Bratislava
Hungary-based integrated oil, gas, petrochemicals and consumer retail company MOL Group announced that it has successfully co-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at its refinery in Slovnaft in Bratislava.
The company produced SAF via coprocessing at its site using partially refined cooking oil with the traditional raw material.
“The test proved that the Bratislava Refinery’s production unit used for the production of standard aviation kerosene is also suitable for producing sustainable aviation fuel,” said the company in a statement.
The company said that the successful production test bring it one step closer towards production of alternative synthetic fuels – as part of company’s long-term SHAPE TOMORROW strategy.
“We are technologically ready to produce biodiesel of vegetable origin as well as sustainable aviation fuel. This could open a new chapter in the sustainable efforts of MOL Group: we offer our customers an increasing variety and quantity of fuels, thus contributing to the smart energy transition as well,” said Csaba Zsótér, senior vice president, fuels at MOL Group.
“The fact that Slovnaft has passed this test is a confirmation of our position as an important player in the CEE region. The competence in chemical production that we have acquired over the long history of the company must be preserved and developed in line with where the company is moving and what kind of future we want to create,” said Gabriel Szabó, vice chairman of the Slovnaft Management Board and vice president downstream of the MOL Group.
Bratislava refinery, which belongs to Slovnaft and began operations in 1957, has a processing capacity of 124,000 bpd (6.1 mtpa).
The news comes weeks after operator Budapest Airport announced that it has successfully certified to introduce SAF at the Ferenc Liszt International Airport. The airport operator, part of the Vinci Airports Network, said the certification was one of the prerequisites to provide airlines with the minimum 2% SAF from 1 January 2025, as required by the EU-wide SAF mandates.