Iberia makes first long-haul flight using SAF in partnership with Repsol

Repsol and Iberia are taking another step in their alliance to reduce emissions in the airline industry with the first long-haul flights using biofuel produced in Spain from biological waste.
The biojet fuel used is from a batch produced in 2021 at Repsol’s Petronor refinery in Bilbao.
The first flight to use biofuel was the maiden Madrid-Washington DC route with a 288-passenger twin-engine Airbus A330-200.
The second flight to use this type of fuel will be flight IB6193 from Madrid to San Francisco, a route that Iberia resumes today following the pandemic. The third will be Iberia's maiden flight from Madrid to Dallas.
With these three flights, Iberia and Repsol are today reducing CO2 emissions by 125 tonnes, thanks to the improved efficiency of the aircraft, together with the use of sustainable biofuel.
Josu Jon Imaz, CEO of Repsol, said: “The aviation industry needs solutions, such as the use of biofuels, in order to continue with the decarbonisation, process we have embarked on. Repsol’s and Iberia’s commitment is placing us at the forefront of this endeavour. In addition, it consolidates our position as a multi-energy company with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the first oil company to commit to this ambitious goal.”
Iberia executive chairman Javier Sánchez-Prieto added: "Aviation faces a huge challenge that can only be overcome by taking steps like today's, which promote the production of sustainable fuels in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices, so that we can continue moving forward in the green transition of the aviation sector.”
This initiative is part of last July’s collaboration agreement between Repsol and Iberia to achieve more sustainable mobility and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda.
In the future, Iberia and Repsol will operate new flights with a growing percentage of biofuel mix, which can reach up to 50% of total fuel.
The biofuel will be produced in Cartagena, at the first advanced biofuels plant in Spain, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2023. Also in 2024, Repsol and Iberia plan to fly using synthetic SAF (e-fuel) produced at the Petronor plant in Bilbao. In addition, both companies are working on a project for the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil by airport ground vehicles.