Aramco, Total Energies, SIRC assess development of SAF unit in Saudi Arabia

Aramco, Total Energies and Saudi Investment Recycling Co., a major player that collects and valorizes organic materials into sustainable products in Saudi Arabia, announced Dec. 3 the signing of a joint-development and cost-sharing agreement to assess the development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production unit in Saudi Arabia.

This collaboration will draw on the expertise of the three partners to develop a unit to produce SAF by converting local residues from the circular economy such as used cooking oil and animal fats.

“With demand for air travel forecast to grow, it’s becoming imperative to address aviation emissions through lower-carbon alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuels,” said Amin H. Nasser, the president and CEO of Aramco. “This is where major global energy companies like Aramco and Total Energies can play a part, by collaborating to help meet this need. Addressing transport emissions requires a wide range of approaches and Aramco is pursuing a number of potential innovative solutions, as we seek opportunities to make an impact. We already have a well-established partnership with Total Energies and this new collaboration demonstrates our intent to explore ways to leverage our combined strengths, in this case with a view to establishing a sustainable aviation fuels plant in the kingdom with SIRC. As Saudi Arabia’s tourism and aviation sectors expand, this could potentially benefit both domestic and international airlines.”

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of Total Energies, said, “We are delighted to partnering with Aramco and SIRC to study the production of sustainable aviation fuels in the kingdom. By leveraging our collective expertise, we can take a further step towards the decarbonization of air transport together. SAF is at the heart of our company’s transition strategy, as we strive to meet the aviation industry’s demand to reduce its carbon footprint. Saudi Arabia is emblematic of our multi-energy strategy aimed at supporting the energy transition of oil-and-gas-producing countries. This SAF production project contributes to the country’s green initiative and vision 2030 objectives.”

SIRC CEO Ziad Al-Sheha added, “In keeping with our commitment to supporting the ambitious sustainability objectives of vision 2030 and the Saudi green initiative, we have a keen focus on increasing waste-conversion rates into renewable resources. The new partnership with Aramco and Total Energies to assess the feasibility of a renewable aviation fuels plant signifies a major leap forward in our mission. We also believe it will enrich and energize our efforts to lead the development of the kingdom’s circular economy.”