Repsol, Vueling use 50pc SAF on a short haul flight

Spanish biofuel producer Repsol and airline Vueling operated a flight between Barcelona and Malaga in which 50pc of the fuel used was sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the maximum allowed under Spanish law and the first time such a flight has taken place in Spain.

The SAF for the flight was supplied to Vueling by Repsol and was produced at its Cartegena biofuel plant, which currently has an annual production capacity for SAF alone of 250,000 t/yr. And the company aims to increase production capacity to 2.7mn t/yr of a variety of renewable fuels including renewable diesel (HVO) and SAF.

And the SAF used can produce up to 80pc less CO2 emissions over its life cycle compared to conventional jet fuel. The flight itself reduced CO2 emissions by 5.59t, Repsol said.

Vueling — part of the IAG Airline Group — has received 1,500t of SAF since June 2022 and aims to use SAF in 10pc of its jet fuel mix by 2030, Repsol added.

By Thomas Hughes