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TotalEnergies and Sinopec to build SAF facility in China
10/4/2024
News
French energy major TotalEnergies has teamed up with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (often known as Sinopec) to jointly develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant at one of Sinopec’s refineries in China.
The planned unit, to be jointly owned by both companies, will have the capacity to produce 230,000 t/y of SAF, derived from waste cooking oils and animal fats.
Sinopec’s Chairman, Ma Yongsheng, commended the joint effort as a crucial step forward: ‘With the integration of Sinopec’s specialised bio-jet fuel technology (SRJET) and our dedication to improving our assets’ quality and efficiency, along with TotalEnergies’ leading role in Europe’s SAF production, we are well-equipped to supply superior green and low-carbon solutions around the globe.’
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TotalEnergies, added: ‘This project is central to TotalEnergies’ transformation strategy aimed at supporting the aviation sector’s carbon footprint reduction efforts. The company has set an ambitious target to produce 1.5mn t/y of SAF by 2030.’
Bio-jet fuel is categorised under SAFs produced from renewable resources, offering up to over 50% reduction in CO2 emissions throughout its lifecycle compared with conventional petroleum-based jet fuels.
In 2009, Sinopec successfully developed its bio-jet fuel production technology, securing intellectual property rights, and began producing qualified bio-jet fuels for the first time in 2011.
In 2022, China’s first industrial-scale bio-jet fuel facility began pilot production at Zhenhai Refining and Chemicals, achieving Asia’s first Global Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) biomass-based SAF certification and obtaining airworthiness certificates for domestically produced large-scale bio-jet fuels.
In 2023, TotalEnergies announced plans to double production of SAF at its Grandpuits refinery near Paris, bringing the site’s annual production capacity to 285,000 tonnes. The investment responds to the gradual increase in minimum SAF shares mandated by the European Union, which is set at 6% for 2030.
