The airline belonging to the Lufthansa Group and the Austrian energy company had agreed by the end of 2021 on the supply of SAF with the aim of contributing to the fulfillment of sustainable goals and strengthening the country as a benchmark in innovation.
The PBS that will be used to supply Austrian Airlines’ operations «is produced at the OMV Schwechat refinery by co-processing Austrian used cooking oil (…) This approach makes the entire production chain as regional as possible and minimizes transport routes,» the energy company said.
«OMV is implementing numerous measures to achieve its ambitious strategic sustainability goals, and sustainable aviation fuel plays a key role in our transformation. We are planning to increase sales of SAF from our own production – from approximately 2,000 metric tons this year – to more than 700,000 annually by 2030. With this, we are addressing the reduction of greenhouse gases. The first milestone has already been achieved with the delivery of SAF to our long-standing partner Austrian Airlines,» said Elena Skvortsova, OMV’s executive director of marketing and commerce.
Michael Trestl, Chief Commercial Officer of Austrian Airlines, said, «Aviation will continue to connect people and societies around the world. Sustainable aviation fuels are a key lever for carbon-neutral transportation and connectivity. As the first Austrian airline, we are already powering our aircraft with SAF, bringing us one step closer to meeting our climate targets.»
Although sustainable aviation fuels may not be the ultimate solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, it is certainly one of the main tools the industry can count on in the short term. The main problem currently has to do with the low supply in relation to the global demand for fuel to propel aircraft.
Regarding the PBS produced by OMV, Martijn van Koten, member of the company’s Refining Executive Board, stressed that «the production of PBS at our Schwechat refinery can be considered highly efficient not only because of the use of sustainable, regionally sourced feedstocks but also because of the use of the existing infrastructure for production, storage and bunkering at Vienna International Airport.»
The companies welcomed the alliance to promote the decarbonization of the industry, emphasizing that both are Austrian, which represents an example of innovation and commitment to society.
