Gazprom Neft produces first batch of low-carbon SAF aviation fuel based on used cooking oil

VLADIVOSTOK. Sept 3 (Interfax) - Gazprom Neft has produced its first batch of low-carbon aviation fuel - sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is produced based on esters and fatty acids, the company said.

"Gazprom Neft's proprietary technology is based on the synthesis of esters from renewable organic raw materials under the influence of hydrogen. As a result, from used cooking oil and animal fats, the company's specialists obtain biocomponents that are comparable in operational properties to traditional aviation fuel and have enhanced environmental characteristics," the company said in a press release.

Previously, Gazprom Neft began refueling marine transport with low-carbon biofuel. The production of Russian SAF fuel is part of the oil company's comprehensive program for developing low-carbon solutions for transport. Starting in 2023, engineering solutions for processing oil and fat raw materials into components for new-generation motor fuels were created and patented at the company's scientific research center.

The partner of Gazprom Neft's project for producing SAF motor fuels and supplier of biocomponents is the Association of Specialists and Enterprises in the Field of Processing Oil and Fat Waste. The oil company and the association signed a bilateral agreement in the summer to develop a unified infrastructure for collecting and processing plant-based raw materials in Russia and to form the resource base necessary for the industrial production of eco-fuels.

The use of SAF fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in air transport up to 80%, Gazprom Neft said.