TotalEnergies and SINOPEC partner on sustainable jet fuel

TotalEnergies and China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) have signed a strategic Heads of Agreement (HoA) to establish a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production unit at a SINOPEC refinery in China. This collaboration marks a major step forward in reducing aviation’s carbon footprint.

The new production unit will be jointly owned by TotalEnergies and SINOPEC and is designed to produce 230,000 tonnes of SAF annually. Using advanced technology, the unit will process local waste materials, such as cooking oils and animal fats, to produce SAF in line with circular economy principles.

SINOPEC, which has developed its proprietary SAF production technology called SRJET, will complement TotalEnergies’ extensive experience in SAF production, operations, and distribution.

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating “The development of sustainable aviation fuels 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. TotalEnergies has set itself a target of 1.5 million tons of annual SAF production by 2030.”

Yongsheng Ma, SINOPEC Group chairman, described the collaboration as “a milestone collaboration with TotalEnergies is in line with our strategy in the development of low carbon solutions for China and the world.”

TotalEnergies has been a leader in developing biofuels derived from waste materials and synthetic e-jet fuels. SAF has proven to reduce CO2 emissions significantly, supporting the aviation sector’s shift towards sustainability.