Marubeni coordinates 1st supply of coprocessed SAF in Japan

SAF unloading (Photo: Marubeni Corp.)

Marubeni announced June 17 that it has begun supplying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by the coprocessing pathway, which processes petroleum-derived and biobased feedstocks simultaneously, within Japan.

Marubeni procured SAF derived from used cooking oil that was produced by HD Hyundai Oilbank, a Korean oil-refining company, at its refinery, and supplied it to All Nippon Airways at the Chiba terminal of Marubeni Ennex Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni.

This is the first time that SAF based on the coprocessing pathway has been supplied within Japan.

The aviation industry is currently facing an urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the world, Marubeni stated, and the International Civil Aviation Organization has accordingly introduced a CO2-emission reduction system.

In 2016, ICAO adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

Under CORSIA, airlines are obligated to procure CO2-emission credit and offset carbon emissions if their CO2-emission volumes exceed the given limits, so that their CO2-emission amounts in their entirety do not increase from the ones recorded in 2021.

Given this new system’s implementation and the Japanese government’s target to increase Japan’s SAF-blended ratio in aviation fuel from to 10 percent by 2030, the demand for SAF—a fuel with great potential as a new-generation, low-carbon fuel to reduce CO2 emissions—is expected to grow.

The coprocessing pathway is a method used to produce partly bioderived petroleum products by mixing petroleum and biobased feedstock and inputting them into existing refinery units.

“Existing units can be used to coprocess feedstock without large-scale renovation work, thus allowing for lower capital-investment expenditures and an earlier start of SAF production,” Marubeni stated.

“Therefore, utilizing the coprocessing pathway is expected to be an effective option during the transition period until new SAF production facilities are operational and widespread,” the company added.

Marubeni formulated its long-term climate-change vision in March 2021 and has positioned its green strategy as one of the basic policies for enhancing corporate value in its mid-term management strategy.

Going forward, Marubeni said it aims to continue making medium- to long-term contributions to global climate-change measures, including the decarbonization of the aviation industry by further expanding its SAF-sales network.