Shell starts supplying sustainable fuel at Californian airport

Oil and gas company Shell announced that its aviation division, alongside Dutch jet fuel firm SkyNRG, has commenced the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to international airlines KML, SAS and Finnair at San Francisco Airport (SFO) in California.

“With our focus on achieving zero net energy, carbon neutrality and zero waste, we are setting bold goals for our airport, and our industry,” said SFO airport director Ivar C. Satero.

“Shell Aviation, World Energy, SkyNRG, KLM, SAS and Finnair have partnered to take an important first step towards this goal. We thank this entire team for leading the way in reducing carbon emissions in air transportation and at SFO.”

Shell describes the launch of the supply as a ‘clear’ commitment to the aviation industry’s ambitious renewable goals, including a cap on net aviation CO₂ emissions from 2020.

“The Aviation industry faces a formidable challenge; how to grow safely and responsibly given the expected doubling of passenger numbers by 2037,” said Anne Anderson, Shell Aviation vice-president.

“At Shell Aviation we are proud to be leading the response. The supply of SAF to San Francisco airport brings together all parts of the sustainable aviation fuel value chain and embodies the spirit of collaboration that is essential to delivering a low carbon future for the industry.”

The SAF used in the new supply can be implemented in the existing infrastructure at SFO, and the airlines using it do not have to make any technical modifications to accommodate it.

“The industry needs collective efforts to scale the development of sustainable aviation. This joint initiative at SFO is a perfect example that would not have been possible without our long-standing supply partner World Energy. In our collaboration with Shell Aviation we aim to lead the way towards making the aviation industry more sustainable and we strive to get more industry players on board,” said Theye Veen, SkyNRG executive director.