KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced it will develop and purchase 75,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year in a period of 10 years. It is the first airline in the world to invest in sustainable aviation fuel on this scale.

Environmental pollution is one of the central topics globally. Especially in aviation, which represents around two percent of emissions of global carbon dioxide (CO2), that is roughly equivalent to the overall emissions of Germany. Meanwhile CO2 is one of the main gases responsible for rising temperatures.

Thus, with a growing need for air travel, aviation companies are looking for the ways to protect the environment and reduce the emissions into the air. KLM is one of them. Together with SkyNRG, global market leader for sustainable aviation fuel, it will develop Europe’s first dedicated plant for the production of SAF.

According to the statement, “the production facility will specialise in producing SAF, bioLPG and naphtha, primarily using regional waste and residue streams as feedstock”. Worth highlighting that sustainable aviation fuel delivers a CO2 reduction of at least 85%, compared to fossil fuel.

The facility, the first of its kind in the world, is scheduled to open in 2022. The plant will annually produce 100,000 tonnes of SAF, as well as 15,000 tonnes of bioLPG, as a by-product. It will mean a CO2 reduction of 270,000 tonnes a year for the aviation industry.