Cepsa and Volotea form partnership to propel SAF

Cepsa and Volotea have reached an agreement to accelerate the decarbonisation of air transport by researching and producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Both companies are prioritising the development of sustainable fuels to further reduce the carbon footprint of air transport and contribute to the fight against climate change.
The partnership involves Cepsa supplying SAF to Volotea, starting in 2025, for the airline’s routes in Spain, where it operates at 22 airports, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Tenerife Sur and Gran Canaria.
This sustainable fuel will be produced from organic waste, such as used cooking oils and agricultural waste.
The partnership will also work on the development of new energy alternatives, such as renewable hydrogen, and the electrification of Volotea’s ground fleets, which include supply vehicles and those for baggage loading and unloading and aircraft assistance.
Tobi Pardo, Cepsa's aviation director, said: "As a leading energy supplier to the aviation sector in Spain, we are committed to helping our customers decarbonize their business. SAF makes it possible to greatly reduce aircraft emissions without making any changes to their engines, and it has the same specifications as conventional kerosene in terms of safety and quality."
Carlos Muñoz, founder and CEO of Volotea, said: "With this agreement, we have taken another step forward in our commitment to make aviation sustainable, and it follows the efforts we have been making as a company for many years to foster the transition to a decarbonised airline industry.
“We believe sustainable fuels in aircraft will play a key role in this strategy, which is why at Volotea, we started using SAF in 2022 on all flights in the special service we operate between France and Germany. Through partnerships like this one with Cepsa, we aim to collaborate so that these fuels (now difficult to access) can be developed and made mainstream as soon as possible."