Cepsa, Wizz Air join forces to accelerate decarbonization of air transport with SAF

Cepsa and Wizz Air signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to accelerate the decarbonization of air transport by researching and producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), moving forward with a joint commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of air transport and fight against climate change.

The MOU gives Wizz Air the opportunity to purchase SAF from Cepsa for supply across the airline’s route network in Spain beginning in 2025. This SAF will be produced from organic waste, such as used cooking oils or agricultural waste, among others.

These biofuels promote the circular economy by being produced from waste that would otherwise end up in landfills and will make it possible to reduce aircraft emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional kerosene. The partnership follows an initiative at the Seville Airport in November 2022, when Wizz Air was among 220 flights that departed from the airport over one week using SAF produced by Cepsa at its La Rábida Energy Park in Huelva.

This was the first time that SAF supply with these characteristics was carried out at an airport in southern Europe, according to Cepsa.

It was also the first time in Spain that the entire value chain was certified traceable by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system from the production of the sustainable fuel to the actual supply.

“At Cepsa we are committed to creating solutions that make air transport more sustainable, and partnerships like the one with Wizz Air to develop SAF are absolutely fundamental in our joint-decarbonization journey with our clients,” said Tobi Pardo, Cepsa’s director of aviation.

Ian Malin, executive vice president and group chief financial officer at Wizz Air, said, “We are excited to partner with Cepsa, a renowned energy company, to establish the SAF supply chain for Wizz Air in Spain. In addition to flying the world’s most sustainable fleet, we are making biofuel a key element to maintaining our leadership in sustainability and exceeding our commitment to reduce carbon intensity by 25 percent by 2030.”

The MOU is in line with the European Commission’s Fit for 55 package, which includes a legislative initiative called RefuelEU Aviation that aims to boost the supply and demand of aviation biofuels in the European Union to 2 percent use by 2025, 5 percent by 2030 and 63 percent by 2050.

As one of the main producers and suppliers of aviation fuels in the Spanish market, this new agreement consolidates Cepsa’s aim to become a leader in the clean-energy sector and to spearhead the decarbonization of air transport.

As part of its strategic plan, Positive Motion, the company is developing an ecosystem focused on accelerating the decarbonization of industrial customers and air and maritime transport, as well as the company itself, through the production of green molecules, mainly renewable hydrogen and biofuels.

Cepsa aspires to be the leading biofuel producer in Spain and Portugal by 2030 with a production capacity of 2.5 million tons per year, with a particular focus on the sustainability of air traffic by having an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons of SAF.

The company has established an ambitious roadmap to cut its emissions, placing it among the benchmark companies in its sector.

By 2030, it will reduce its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 55 percent and the carbon-intensity index of its products by 15 percent to 20 percent.

Cepsa aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Wizz Air currently operates flights to 14 Spanish cities: Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Castellón, Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Madrid, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santander, Seville, Tenerife, Valencia and Zaragoza.