FAQ about SAF
Questions
about Sustainable
Aviation Fuel?
Questions about Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
We are here to help!
We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about SAF. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please contact our team. We will be happy to help!
We are here to help!
We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about SAF. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please contact our team. We will be happy to help!
What is Neste MY SAF?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a next generation aviation fuel, made from sustainably sourced, renewable waste and residue raw materials. Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, in its neat form and over the life cycle, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel use (calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology). Neste MY SAF can be used as a drop-in fuel as it is compatible with existing aircraft engines and airport infrastructure, requiring no extra investment into these. Prior to use, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel is blended with fossil jet fuel and certified to meet ASTM jet fuel specifications.
What is SAF made of?
Neste's SAF is produced from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. Our innovation business platforms focus on the commercial and technical development of new sustainable and scalable raw materials and technologies enabling their use. We are exploring, for example, algae, municipal solid waste, lignocellulosics, and renewable hydrogen and Power-to-Liquids.
How is SAF made?
Neste produces SAF with our own NEXBTL™ technology which allows the use of almost any waste fat or vegetable oil in the production of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel and other renewable products. It is based on HEFA-technology, currently the commercially most viable technology to produce SAF.
Where is SAF produced and what is the production capacity?
Neste MY SAF is today produced in Porvoo, Finland with an annual SAF production capacity of 100,000 tons (approximately 34 million gallons). With the ongoing expansion of Neste’s Singapore refinery and modification of Neste’s Rotterdam (NL) refinery, Neste will have the capacity to produce some 1.5 million tons (515 million gallons) of SAF annually by the end of 2023.
How does Neste source raw materials for SAF?
Neste's SAF is produced from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials. Neste sources raw materials from all over the world. We expect the global availability of waste and residue oils and fats suitable for our NEXBTL technology to grow to 40 million tons by 2030.
Is Neste developing new raw materials?
Neste is innovating to bring new SAF production pathways to life. We are focusing on the following promising new raw materials and technologies enabling their use: lignocellulosic raw materials, municipal solid waste, algae, and Power-to-Liquids, to name a few.
How is SAF used?
SAF is a drop-in fuel, requiring no additional investments into existing aircraft engines or airport infrastructure. Neste MY SAF is blended with fossil jet fuel meeting ASTM jet fuel specifications and then available for uplifting into aircraft using the existing fuel infrastructure at airports.
What are the environmental benefits of SAF?
Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, in its neat form and over the life cycle, reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel use (calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology).
In addition, SAF has significantly lower non-CO2 effects compared to fossil jet fuel. Recent reports from EASA have confirmed that fossil jet fuel has approximately three times the climate change effect of just the carbon emissions. SAF use results in lower particulate emissions than fossil jet fuel use due to cleaner combustion; as a result, there is less contrails formation. Because of the lower particulate emissions the environmental benefits of SAF are actually even more significant than the 80% GHG emission reductions.
Which airlines are currently using Neste MY SAF?
Neste MY SAF is used by leading commercial airlines in Europe, North America and Asia including Lufthansa, KLM, IAG, Finnair, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, ANA and cargo carriers such as UPS and Amazon PrimeAir.
Which airports are currently using SAF?
Neste MY SAF is used by many major airports, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Heathrow Airport (LHR), Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Narita International Airport (NRT). We also work with industry leading distributors to provide Neste MY SAF to business aviation customers.
Questions about our Neste MY SAF for Business solution
Questions about our Neste MY SAF for Business solution
How does the use of Neste MY SAF differ from CO2 offsets?
SAF is a solution to directly reduce the in-sector emissions from aviation. Carbon offsets means buying carbon credits from projects that reduce GHG emissions in other sectors.
When we talk about Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 — What are we talking about?
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol provides global standardised frameworks and the most widely used greenhouse gas emissions accounting standards to measure and manage GHG emissions from private and public sector operations across value chains. Following GHG Protocol standards, companies’ value chain emissions are divided to three scopes:
- Scope 1: direct emissions from own operations — direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.
- Scope 2: indirect emissions from own operations — emissions related to the generation of purchased energy (such electricity, heat and steam).
- Scope 3: indirect value chain emissions (not included in scope 2) — covering emissions occurring in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream activities, divided to a total of 15 different categories from purchased goods and services to transportation and use of sold products.
What is SBTi?
SBTi stands for Science Based Targets initiative and is a partnership between CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), United Nations Global Compact, WRI (World Resources Institute) and WWF (World Wildlife Fund).
It aims to drive companies to reduce emissions according to the latest science-based criteria and sector-specific guidance. The guidance is recognized as the standard of climate target setting and validation “frameworks”, with the number of signatory companies exponentially growing after the SBTi launch in 2015. According to the SBTi, climate targets can be considered as “science-based” if they are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
What is the role of SBTi guidelines?
The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is the gold standard for credible climate targets. SBTi has just launched its guidance for the Aviation sector. SAF is approved by the SBTi to mitigate business travel emissions.
How do you get the 80%* GHG emission reduction? What is it based on?
The 80%* GHG emission reduction is achieved when the emissions of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel over the life cycle of the fuel, from raw material production to consumption of the fuel, are compared to similar emissions from fossil jet fuel. The biggest difference between SAF and fossil jet fuel emissions are the raw materials used. Burning of fossil fuels increases the fossil CO2 concentration in the atmosphere which is the main cause of climate change. The burning of fuels produced from renewable raw materials, such as SAF, releases the same amount of carbon that renewable raw materials have absorbed from the atmosphere. Hence, the use of renewable raw materials is considered as carbon circulation, not adding new CO2 to the atmosphere.
*) Calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology.
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