Neste and Air New Zealand have signed an agreement for the supply of nine million litres (around 7,200 tons or 2.4 million gallons) of neat Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™. The agreement represents the largest purchase of sustainable aviation fuel from Neste made by any airline outside North America and Europe for delivery before the end of 2024.
The agreement follows an earlier SAF delivery to Air New Zealand in 2022. The sustainable aviation fuel will be produced at Neste’s Singapore refinery, which expanded its SAF production capability last year and is currently ramping up SAF production. The neat SAF will be blended with conventional jet fuel to meet the required fuel specifications and supplied to Los Angeles International Airport between April 1 and November 30, 2024.
“Decarbonising Air New Zealand’s operations is essential for its long-term ability to connect New Zealanders to the world, as well as support the country’s trade and tourism sectors, and SAF is a key enabler of this,” says Air New Zealand’s Chair Dame Therese Walsh.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is currently the only solution to significantly reduce emissions from long haul flight, but it currently makes up less than 1% of the global fuel supply. For aviation to reach its net zero carbon emissions goals by 2050, the SAF industry will need to scale significantly.”
“While the SAF supply is small compared with the airline’s overall fuel use, it is nine times the size of Air New Zealand’s first shipment of SAF from Neste in 2022 and demonstrates growing cooperation between two like-minded organisations to advance the supply and use of SAF,” Walsh adds.
“Neste is fully committed to supporting the decarbonisation of aviation and is working closely together with partners like Air New Zealand to accelerate SAF usage. We are proud to support Air New Zealand’s decarbonisation focus and are looking forward to continuing working together with Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Government to reach their climate goals,” said Alexander Kueper, Vice President Renewable Aviation at Neste.
