Ron Kotrba
Jul 26, 20212 min
Two Madrid, Spain-based firms, a multinational energy company and an airline, are collaborating to move toward more sustainable mobility, among other goals. The agreement between energy company Repsol and the airline Iberia intends to develop ambitious joint programs and activities in the following areas:
Research and production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) capable of reducing the carbon footprint of their flights
Development of processes for production and supply of electricity and renewable hydrogen to decarbonize Iberia's fleet of land vehicles
Energy management of Iberia's facilities through advanced systems and artificial intelligence, among other technologies
“This agreement with Repsol is a strategic one, so Iberia can progress towards the commitment to sustainability that it has acquired,” said Javier Sánchez-Prieto, chairman of Iberia. “Our current sustainability strategy is based, above all, on achieving maximum efficiency in our operations, reducing the intensity of our customers’ emissions, and offering them an increasingly sustainable travel experience. The agreement with Repsol reinforces our future commitment to the research and development of sustainable aviation fuels, the ecological transition of our equipment at airports, and a more efficient management of our facilities.”
Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz said, “The implementation of this collaboration agreement with a strategic partner for the company such as Iberia is another step in the company’s strategic plan, which will allow us to move towards the goal of being a net zero emissions company by 2050. Repsol has the capacity to offer a global response to the needs of a sector such as aviation, which requires a multi-energy solution to cover its energy demand, both on the ground and in the air, where electrification presents difficulties.”
Iberia is part of IAG, which has committed to 10 percent of its flights using SAF by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. IAG says it will purchase 1 million tons of SAF per year by 2030.
Within the past year, Repsol produced the first two batches of SAF in the Spanish market at its industrial complexes in Puertollano and Tarragona, and the company will manufacture SAF at its other facilities in Spain.
Repsol and Iberia have set up a working group made up of representatives from both companies, in which, according to Repsol, “all future activities and projects will take place with the aim of achieving more sustainable mobility and more efficient energy management.”