British Airways to use first sustainable jet fuel produced in the UK

British Airways, through an agreement with fuel supplier Phillips 66 Limited, will be the first airline to use U.K.-produced PBS. The companies made a commitment that will be extended over time to ensure the supply and use of sustainable aviation fuel, with the objective of promoting the reduction of CO2 emissions from airline operations.

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In early 2022 British Airways will start using PBS to power its aircraft, which will be produced on a large scale at the Phillips 66 Humber refinery in North Lincolnshire. The fuel, made from sustainable waste, will be supplied to the airline at UK airports using existing infrastructure, as no modifications are required for its distribution.

Sean Doyle, Chairman, and CEO of British Airways, said, «This agreement represents another significant step on our journey towards zero net carbon emissions and is part of our commitment, together with International Airlines Group (IAG), to drive 10% of flights with SAF by 2030 (…) The UK has the resources and capabilities to be a world leader in the development of SAF and increasing its production requires a highly collaborative approach between industry and government».

IAG, a holding company of which British Airways is a part along with Iberia, Vueling, Level, and Aer Lingus, will invest some $400 million over the next 20 years to promote the development of sustainable aviation fuels. The British airline also has existing agreements with other technology and fuel companies with which it is working on the development of plants for the production of SAF.

Darren Cunningham, Phillips 66’s UK Executive Leader, praised the agreement as it reflects the attention the aviation and energy industries are placing on sustainability by supporting sustainable aviation fuels to promote their development, adoption, and growth.

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«The Humber refinery was the first in the UK to co-process waste oils to produce renewable fuels and now we will be the first to produce SAF at scale, and we are thrilled that British Airways is our first UK customer,» said the refinery’s general manager.

Cunningham stated that «this agreement with British Airways is aligned with our strategy to create a refinery of the future, where we produce fuels from waste, being a critical part of the electric vehicle supply chain, reducing the carbon intensity of our processes through carbon capture and the use of hydrogen to power the refinery».

The initiative is part of British Airways’ BA Better World project, which aims to promote the sustainability of its operations through various strategies that can provide short-, medium- and long-term solutions.