Argus launches SAF from Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub on its price-discovery platform

Global energy and commodity price-reporting agency Argus has extended its Argus Open Markets real-time electronic price-discovery platform to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) prices from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub in Europe.

SAF trade at the key ARA hub is growing quickly as stricter emissions-reduction targets around the world drive rising aviation demand for this fuel, which can be blended with traditional jet fuel.

The AOM platform offers real-time price transparency daily between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. London time for hydrotreated esters and fatty acids synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK) SAF markets in Europe, and enables registered market participants to post bids and offers, and to initiate trades for this product.

The launch of SAF ARA on AOM April 11 saw offers posted on the first day, and lively activity followed in the second session.

Five trades have since been initiated.

“The European ARA region is a significant source of growth of sustainable aviation fuel refining, trading and consumption,” said Adrian Binks, chairman and CEO of Argus Media.

“We have worked closely with the industry to extend Argus Open Markets to SAF, which enables efficient and transparent price discovery and will help the market develop and fulfill its important role as airlines and their suppliers around the world adapt to the mandates driving the energy transition,” Binks added.

Argus said it is the leading publisher of SAF and underlying biofuel feedstock benchmarks around the world.

Its fatty acid methyl ester (FAME 0), rapeseed oil methyl ester (RME) and used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME) price assessments are the industry standards used in physical and term contracts in Europe, a region which has led the world in the adoption of biofuels in road-transport fuels.

In addition to SAF, Argus publishes assessments for other hydrotreated renewable fuels, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), bionaphtha and biopropane.

Argus successfully extended its AOM real-time electronic price-discovery platform to HVO on a fob ARA basis in 2020, and the platform now sees daily activity in that field.

In addition, UCO, the feedstock for HEFA-SPK SAF and HVO Class II, is available on AOM in both Europe and Asia Pacific.