British Airways has received its first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) following a new agreement with UK-based supplier Phillips 66.
BA said it was the first airline to use SAF on a commercial scale through the multi-year agreement, which will provide enough fuel to power 700 zero emissions flights between London and New York on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The fuel is produced from sustainable waste at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery near Immingham in Lincolnshire. It will be added to BA’s existing pipeline feeding several UK airports including Heathrow. SAF can cut emissions by more than 80 per cent compared to traditional jet fuel.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “Being the first airline to source sustainable aviation fuel produced at commercial scale in the UK is another breakthrough moment for us and the airline industry.
“Our supplies of SAF from Phillips 66 Limited will allow us to progress with our ambitious roadmap to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner, and will play a role in our commitment, as part of International Airlines Group (IAG), to power 10 per cent of flights with SAF by 2030.”
Using SAF for flights is just one of the ways in which BA is trying to cut its carbon emissions. Other initiatives include investing in hydrogen propulsion aircraft developer ZeroAvia, and allowing passengers to purchase SAF in combination with offsets to reduce their individual carbon footprint from flights.
Darren Cunningham, lead executive UK and general manager at Humber Refinery, added: “Phillips 66 Humber Refinery is proud to supply British Airways with sustainable aviation fuel. We were 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.
“The production of SAF is just one of a number of decarbonisation projects we are currently progressing, and we are excited by the role that we play in supplying the UK with the fuels it needs, both now and in the future.”
BA’s moves to reduce its carbon footprint are part of a wider drive by the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Last month, Virgin Group signed a new partnership aimed at producing lower carbon fuel, which could be used to power Virgin Atlantic flights.