Spain: Planes running on olive pits
Fuel made from olive pits and other olive oil industry waste in Spain will soon be used to power planes from Sevilla airport. This is a pilot project of the oil and gas company Cepsa to help tourism’s decarbonization.
Over the next weeks Cepsa will supply SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) to all 220 Air Europa, Ais Nostrum, Iberia Express, Ryanair, Vuelling and Wizz Air flights departing from Sevilla airport. This pioneering initiative in southern Europe shows the entire sector’s joint commitment to energy transition and sustainable tourism.
This initiative will prevent the emission of more than 200 tons of CO2, the equivalent to planting more than 2,500 tress. It will allow these six airlines’ aircraft to take off the Sevilla terminal with 4.5% of SAF in their tanks, surpassing the 2% target set by the EU for 2025.
Decarbonizing tourism
Biofuels made from agricultural waste are slowly making their way as an alternative to fossil fuels. Aviation, one of the biggest polluters, is one of its favorite markets. Olive pits, waste oils and other plant waste are used by Cepsa to make this biofuel.
The company is developing and manufacturing advanced fuels from circular feedstocks, which do not compete with food, at its La Rábida Energy Park located in Huelva. “If all biomass in Andalucía is mobilized, it could meet 10% of current demand”, Carlos Barrasa, Cepsa’s Clean Energy Director, said during the presentation of the program. He recalled that the multinational is going to produce advanced biofuels on a large scale by 2030 to offer 800,000 tons of SAF to its aviation customers annually.
Mr. Barrasa also explained that "no changes to aircraft engines or airport or aircraft supply systems are required today to accommodate this type of fuel. It is possible to blend the sustainable fuel with conventional kerosene".
To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the use of SAF is one of the main solutions to reach this. It can be blended up to 50% with conventional fuel without requiring any retrofitting. Successful implementation requires scaling up its production to make it accessible and affordable. Flying with sustainable fuel means decarbonizing tourism, since 80% of tourists arriving in Spain do so by air.
Spain’s olive oil sector
The olive oil sector is a fundamental pillar of the Spanish agri-food system. Spain is a world leader in surface area, production and foreign trade.
Spanish olive oil production accounts for 70% of EU production and 45% of world production. Spain is the world's leading exporter of olive oil with a share of nearly 50%.
Cepsa
The Compañía Española de Petróleos, known as Cepsa, is a Spanish multinational chaired by the Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company. As of January 2022, its CEO is Maarten Wetselaar, formerly with Royal Dutch Shell.
On December 1st, the company presented a 3-billion-euro investment project in Andalucía to create the largest green hydrogen hub in Europe. At an event attended by Spain’s PM, Cepsa’s CEO and the Dutch ambassador, it was highlighted that the hub will strengthen Spain's ambition to lead the energy transition and guarantee an independent energy supply for Europe.
Cepsa has also signed an agreement with the Port of Rotterdam to create the first green hydrogen corridor between southern and northern Europe, allowing the export of green ammonia and methanol from the port of Algeciras.