British Airways Takes Delivery of Sustainable Aviation Fuel From Phillips 66 Ltd to Power its Flights
British Airways and Phillips 66, a multinational energy company, have agreed to boost sustainability in their businesses, with the latter arranging the delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the former. The transaction makes the company the first airline to start using SAF produced on a commercial scale in the UK.
The delivery of sustainable aviation fuel from Phillips 66 Limited is a significant milestone in the airline's history as it delivers a range of activities to decarbonise and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Phillips 66 is producing SAF at its Refinery in Immingham will be used to power several flights of British Airways. The SAF is generated from sustainable waste feedstock at the refinery. The airline will add it into the pipeline infrastructure to facilitate operations in many UK airports, including London Heathrow.
Both companies are committed to carbon-neutrality in future. Sustainable aviation alone will help decrease lifecycle C02 by around 1,00,000 tonnes, adequate to power 700 net-zero CO2 emissions flights between New York and London.
They also support government plans for a future SAF mandate and a business model for exploring advanced waste to jet fuel projects. The airline has been working closely with the government to help the UK become a leader in SAF production.
British Airways has several partnership deals with other companies to construct plants and purchase sustainable fuel. The airline's parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), is planning to invest $400 million over the next 20 years in the development of SAF.
Sean Doyle, British Airways Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “Being the first airline to source sustainable aviation fuel produced at a 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% of flights with SAF by 2030.
“Progressing the development and commercial scale-up of sustainable aviation fuel will be a game-changer and crucial to reducing the aviation sector’s reliance on fossil fuels and improving the UK’s energy supply resilience. I’m confident that Britain can take a leading role on the global stage in this space, creating green jobs and export opportunities, if industry, developers and Government continue to collaborate and make it a key focus area.”
Darren Cunningham, Lead Executive UK and General Manager Humber Refinery said: “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. We’re currently refining almost half a million litres of sustainable waste feedstocks a day, and this is just a start.
“The strategic collaboration and supply agreement confirm each companies’ commitment to a lower-carbon future. The production of SAF is just one of several 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.”
Through its onboard Speedbird Café menu app, customers may now join British Airways on its quest to become net-zero by 2050. Customers on short-haul European flights may contribute to carbon offset projects throughout the world through a new category on the BA Better World page called 'Contribute to Carbon Offsets.' The £2.50 donation is equal to the carbon offset for an average British Airways European return flight per passenger, and the money is spent on certified CO2 emission reduction and avoidance programmes.
