Air New Zealand will reach its next stop on its Flight NZ0 journey and will next week welcome the first of many shipments of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The 1.2 million litre import is equivalent to fuelling around 400 return flights between Auckland and Wellington and in its neat form will reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil jet fuel.
Produced by the world’s largest SAF supplier, Neste, and imported in partnership with Z Energy, this first shipment will be used to help test and set up the supply chain for importing SAF into New Zealand. The SAF is made from sustainably sourced, renewable waste and residue raw materials. As SAF is a drop in fuel it will be put into the fuel system at Marsden Point upon arrival, where it will make its way down to Auckland airport and will be delivered to Air New Zealand through the regular jet fuel supply chain.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the airline is incredibly committed to getting the Air New Zealand fleet up and running on SAF and this shipment marks the beginning of making regular imports a reality. “This is a major milestone for us. We made a commitment when we announced Flight NZ0 earlier this year to find a more sustainable way to connect with the world. Air New Zealand is already one of the most fuel-efficient airlines in the world with our modern fleet, but the future of travel relies on low-carbon air transport. While we are starting out small, it will help us to test the supply chain and understand the true cost of importing SAF into New Zealand. Currently, SAF only makes up less than 1 percent of the global fuel supply and is around three to five times the cost of fossil jet fuel, so while sourcing it is a challenge, it’s one we are tackling head on. By 2030, we expect our fleet to be fuelled by 10 percent SAF.”
Sami Jauhiainen, Vice President APAC, Renewable Aviation at Neste says Neste is fully committed to supporting the decarbonisation of aviation. “Neste has been at the forefront of accelerating the production and use of SAF. Our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel is used across the globe by a growing number of airlines, and I am excited that our SAF will now also be supplied to Air New Zealand in cooperation with Z Energy. We are proud to support Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Government with the ambitious climate goals that show a great example for others to follow. With the expansion of our Singapore refinery nearing completion, and the ongoing modification of our Rotterdam refinery, we will be able to produce up to 1.5 million tons of SAF by the end of 2023, ready to support aviation globally and in the Asia-Pacific region.”
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