TotalEnergies, Avril team up on intermediate crops for SAF production

French energy company TotalEnergies and vegetable oils and proteins firm Avril announced a partnership to jointly study the development of a French intermediate crop sector for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The agreement prioritises intermediate crops that do not compete with food crops will be prioritised for the study.

“This agreement with Avril represents a major step in the development of a French vegetable oil production sector enabling the production of SAF … SAFs contribute to the energy transition of our customers in the aviation sector and their development is at the heart of our company’s transition strategy,” said Valérie Goff, senior vice president Renewable Fuels & Chemicals at TotalEnergies.

Catch crops are crops sown between two main crops on the same plot. As such, they do not require additional land and do not compete with human and animal food, while still providing additional income for farmers. They are eligible under European regulations for the production of SAF, said the two companies in an announcement.

“The French sector for SAF based on intermediate oilseed crops is taking concrete shape. This agreement with TotalEnergies represents a decisive step towards building a local, efficient and competitive model to decarbonise air transport,” declared Emmanuel Manichon, managing director, Primary Transformation & Renewable Energies at Avril.

These crops also enable the co-production of plant proteins, thus contributing to the protein sovereignty of France and Europe in animal feed. They also offer numerous agronomic benefits: in particular, they limit soil erosion, improve soil structure, reduce water loss, and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

As part of this agreement, TotalEnergies and Avril will evaluate the entire value chain, from the selection of plant varieties to the production of biofuels, with the aim of structuring a sustainable French sector.

Avril will supply vegetable oils from intermediate crops to TotalEnergies, which will transform them into SAF at its French biorefineries and through coprocessing in its French and European refineries.

The agreement is part of TotalEnergies’ plans to expand SAF production across its biorefineries. The company recently announced plans to expand SAF production to 500,000 tonnes by 2028.