Chinese petrochemicals group Sinopec and French energy major TotalEnergies have reached a heads of agreement, signed in Beijing, to form a joint venture to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from waste oils at one of Sinopec’s refineries. The partnership aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 230,000 tons, with the new production line co-operated by both entities.
Said Sinopec Chairman Ma Yongsheng: “With the integration of Sinopec’s specialized bio-jet fuel technology (SRJET) and our dedication to improving our assets’ quality and efficiency, along with TotalEnergies’ leading role in Europe’s SAF production, we are well-equipped to supply superior green and low-carbon solutions around the globe.”
Ma’s counterpart at Total Engergies, Patrick Pouyanné, added: “This project is central to TotalEnergies’ transformation strategy aimed at supporting the aviation sector’s carbon footprint reduction efforts. The company has set an ambitious target to produce 1.5 million tons of SAF annually by 2030.”
Bio-jet fuel is categorized under SAFs produced from renewable resources offering up to over 50% reduction in CO2 emissions throughout its lifecycle compared with conventional petroleum-based jet fuels. In 2009, Sinopec successfully developed its bio-jet fuel production technology securing intellectual property rights followed by producing qualified bio-jet fuels for the first time in December 2011.
April 2013 marked successful trial flights at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport; commercial flights between Shanghai-Beijing were conducted in 2015; transoceanic flights from Beijing-Chicago took place in 2017 making China the first Asian country and fourth globally possessing indigenous bio-jet fuel technology development capabilities.
In May 2022, China’s inaugural industrial-scale bio-jet fuel facility commenced pilot production at Zhenhai Refining & Chemicals achieving Asia’s first Global RSB biomass-based sustainable aviation feul certification later that year followed by obtaining airworthiness certificates for domestically produced large-scale biojet fuels in September.
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