Shell Aviation to support SkyNRG's Dutch SAF production facility development and secures fuel purchase option
Wed 20 Nov 2019 – Shell Aviation has expanded its interests in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) development through an agreement to support SkyNRG’s DSL-01 SAF production plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, that is due to be commissioned in 2022. The facility is expected to become Europe’s first to be dedicated to SAF production, a year or two ahead of the Velocys/British Airways Altalto project on the north-east coast of England that Shell is also supporting. Shell said it will bring its technical and commercial expertise to the Dutch project’s development and will also secure an option purchase SAF from the facility, which is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes annually from waste and residue streams. Earlier this year, KLM committed to purchasing 75,000 tonnes annually from DSL-01 for 10 years. Last month, SkyNRG launched its Board Now programme in which companies can offset their business travel emissions through contributing to the purchase and use of SAF from the facility.
The waste and residue feedstocks used for SAF production at DSL-01, such as used cooking oil, will be sourced predominantly from regional industries, says SkyNRG, and the facility will run on sustainable hydrogen produced local to the site in the Groningen Seaport, along with the use of low-carbon energy to power production. The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) has estimated the combined benefits will result in lifecycle carbon emissions around 85% lower than conventional jet fuels. The annual production of 100,000 tonnes of SAF will therefore correspond to a reduction in lifecycle CO2e emissions of approximately 270,000 tonnes. As by-products, the plant will also produce naphtha and 15,000 tonnes of bioLPG annually.
“When it comes to carbon emissions, the aviation industry needs collaboration amongst industry players, it needs support to drive technical innovation and investments, and last but not least it needs a multiple set of solutions that help drive a faster transition to a net zero emissions world,” said Anna Mascolo, Vice President, Shell Aviation. “At Shell we have started the journey, although we recognise there is a lot more to do to avoid, reduce and offset carbon emissions.”
SkyNRG Managing Director Maarten van Dijk said Shell was a natural partner to help accelerate progress of the plant. “The shared ambitions and collaborative approach of the companies involved sends a strong signal to the rest of our industry of the actions required to deliver a sustainable future for aviation.”
To help bridge the price gap between the SAF produced at DSL-01 and conventional jet fuel, SkyNRG’s new Board Now programme will ensure a substantial purchase of SAF, believes the company. It says the programme is the world’s first that enables companies to contribute directly to the development of the SAF industry and will help pave the way for aviation’s energy transition.
Early partners joining the venture include RSB, the ClimateWorks Foundation, South Pole, Vertis Environmental Finance and the Climate Neutral Group. The last three organisations develop projects to enable companies to compensate their own CO2 emissions. SkyNRG said the partners would help further the growth of the programme by providing access to knowledge and networks and by creating marketing opportunities.
“By facilitating organisations with tools to reduce their footprint, Board Now is a potential game-changer,” said Rolf Hogan, Executive Director at RSB. “As a proud partner, RSB is ready to give wings to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel and to contribute to the battle against climate change.”
PwC and Skyscanner are the launch members for the programme. “PwC is doing everything in its power to reduce its own business air travel emissions substantially,” said Renate de Lange, member of the Board of Directors of PwC Netherlands. “The purchasing of sustainable aviation fuel contributes to this. With our commitment to SkyNRG, we strengthen our strategy for sustainable business travel and we believe that this is a very important step towards sustainable flying.”
Added SkyNRG Managing Director, Theye Veen: “We are proud that these organisations have boarded our programme as launching members or partners. Their commitment and support are crucial in order to scale up this industry and take the development of sustainable fuel worldwide to the next level. We are looking forward to inspiring other international organisations to follow in their footsteps.”
