Neste to supply SAF to United Airlines flights departing San Francisco International Airport

Photo: United Airlines

Neste and United announced May 4 that the airline’s departing flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will be fueled by a blend of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™.

Neste will supply 1.5 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to United in the U.S., building on the announcement last year of providing 2.5 million gallons of SAF to the airline at Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands.

The SAF deliveries commenced at SFO in April.

United is also planning to use SAF later this year at London Heathrow Airport, which could put the airline on track to use almost 10 million gallons of SAF in 2023, nearly three times more than in 2022 and close to 10 times more than in 2019.

“In just a little over a year, our collaboration with Neste has already helped United significantly increase our SAF usage at airports from San Francisco to Amsterdam,” said Lauren Riley, United’s chief sustainability officer. “As the global aviation leader in SAF production investments, United remains committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions, without relying on traditional carbon offsets by 2050.”

Michael Sargeant, vice president of Neste’s renewable aviation business unit in the Americas, added, “We are committed to increasing the availability of SAF globally, and this is enabled by bold partnerships like the one Neste established with United. Together, we are showing the importance of collaboration across the entire aviation ecosystem in helping the industry reduce greenhouse-gas emissions effectively.”

The increased supply of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel is enabled by Neste’s ambitious growth strategy as well as the partnership between Neste, different airlines and airport agencies to establish the supply network to deliver large volumes of SAF at San Francisco International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the U.S.

Neste delivered the first batch of SAF to SFO in 2020, and more than 8 million gallons of Neste’s SAF have been supplied to SFO to date.

Neste’s global SAF production capability will grow to 515 million gallons per year by the end of 2023, and to 750 million gallons in 2026.

SAF is a renewable aviation fuel providing a more sustainable alternative to conventional, fossil-based jet fuel.

It is widely recognized as a key lever to achieve aviation’s emission-reduction goals.

Using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 80 percent over the fuel’s lifecycle, compared to using conventional jet fuel.

Neste’s SAF is made from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.