November 22, 2023 [Ground Handling International]- Shell and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA) have signed an agreement to blend sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on all aircraft fuelled at the airport from next year.

The European blending mandate demands the aviation sector must blend in 2% SAF by 2025 and 6% by 2030.

RTHA wants to speed up progress by 2 additional percentage points for 2024 followed by incremental increases of at least 1 percentage point until 2030, meeting the 14% SAF target for the Dutch aviation sector.

SAF is much more expensive than fossil kerosene and large-scale production has yet to take off, which is why RTHA has chosen to sign a long-term agreement with Shell in order to offer transparency for growth and costs to airport users.

Sustainable fuel reduces CO2 across the chain by an average of 80% and Shell is building an 820,000-tonnes-a-year biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, which will produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste.

Wilma van Dijk, CEO of RTHA, said: “Sustainable fuel is essential for the future of aviation. This long-term agreement makes it possible for Shell to invest in production facilities while allowing airlines to gradually adapt to a new reality.”

Praising the airport for helping decarbonise flights, Jan Toschka, President of Shell Aviation, said: “It is particularly encouraging to see an airport committing to long-term SAF agreements, for volumes above the levels required under EU mandates. This type of ambition helps play an important role in providing strong, stable demand that is necessary for scaling up the supply and use of SAF.”

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