The Roads to Carbon Neutral - Season 5 - Episode 5 - The Future in Flight
The Roads to Carbon Neutral - Season 5 - Episode 5
The Future in Flight
The Roads to Carbon Neutral
The fifth season of our program entitled “The Roads to Carbon Neutral”, in partnership with CNBC Catalyst, provides an insight into the solutions and innovations making the transition to low-carbon energy a reality and helping us with our net zero approach, together with society. These powerful on-the-ground stories are led by TotalEnergies’ employees.
For this fifth episode, Simon Pouilly, International Sales Manager at TotalEnergies, provides us with some insight into SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), a major driver for reducing CO2 emissions in the aviation sector. The Company is taking action to meet the strong demand from the aviation industry to reduce its carbon footprint, thereby supporting its customers in achieving their ambitions. A prime example is Air France-KLM, with whom the Company has signed a major deal to deliver up to 1.5 million tons of SAF over ten years. Antoine Laborde, Head of Fuel Procurement at Air France-KLM, shares his insight into the role that SAF can play in the aviation industry and its importance to the Company’s transition strategy.
SAF for decarbonizing air travel
Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, heralds a major step forward for the aerospace industry. This fuel is produced from waste and residues from the circular economy. It is one of the keys for achieving a swift and significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from air transport, which currently accounts for over 2% of global emissions. Committed to an approach of getting to net zero, together with society, TotalEnergies is producing and distributing SAF to support its customers in the aviation industry with their decarbonization strategies. We are investing in transforming our refineries and developing SAF production units, and we are also forging partnerships with key industry players, such as Airbus, Safran and the Air France-KLM Group.
SAF at TotalEnergies: Key Figures
How TotalEnergies produces SAF
At TotalEnergies, we have two preferred methods for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF):
- The first method involves producing SAF in a biorefinery. It is then delivered to a dedicated storage facility and blended with standard JET A-1 fuel in an amount of up to 50% to produce alternative aviation fuel containing SAF.
- The second method is known as co-processing, which involves the insertion of bio-based feedstock into traditional refinery units in addition to the usual fossil feedstock. At the end of the refining process, the result is an alternative aviation fuel, already blended.
TotalEnergies, a SAF pioneer
For over 10 years, we have been pioneering in SAF. We are developing co-processing in our refineries and have invested in converting some of our facilities into biorefineries. The Grandpuits biorefinery is a prime example. Thanks to a €500 million investment, TotalEnergies is transforming its site into a zero-crude platform, including a biorefinery with a production capacity of 230,000 tons a year of SAF in 2026.
Other refineries and biorefineries in France, Belgium and Germany, such as the La Mède, Normandy and Antwerp facilities, are now producing SAF, and the Company is examining plans to build several SAF production units at its sites.
TotalEnergies is also continuing its R&D efforts, especially in feedstock, which remains one of the challenges to increasing SAF production. This is one of the topics addressed by the Solaize research center near Lyon, where specialized teams are working to continually enhance sustainable aviation fuels.
The world is changing, and we need to change with it. This partnership is one of the most important of its kind. It needs to set an example for others.Simon Pouilly International Sales Manager, TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies and Air France: committed to decarbonizing air travel
The aviation industry is committed to reducing its carbon emissions. Nevertheless, SAF only accounted for 0.3% of all fuels used in 2024. Therefore, it is vitally important for airlines and the energy industry to work hand in hand in helping drive down the sector’s emissions.
One of the main advantages with SAF for the aviation industry is that it requires no modifications to aircraft or airport infrastructures.
In 2024, the Air France-KLM Group purchased around 100,000 tons of SAF, making it one of the world’s largest customers for sustainable aviation fuel. In addition, TotalEnergies and Air France-KLM signed an agreement in 2024 for TotalEnergies to supply up to 1.5 million tons of sustainable aviation fuel to Air France-KLM Group airlines over a 10-year period, until 2035.
The Roads to Carbon Neutral
TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies (oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity) and is committed to the energy transition.