World Fuel Services to provide UK defense ministry with additional SAF volumes

Photo: Royal Air Force

After successfully delivering 4 million liters (1.06 million gallons) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the U.K.’s defense ministry between November and February, World Fuel Services, a World Kinect company, will supply the ministry with an additional 5.15 million liters (1.36 million gallons), World Fuel Services announced March 28.

The supplied fuel is blended with approximately 40 percent SAF sourced from Neste with the renewable part of the feedstock being produced from used cooking oil (UCO) or animal fat on a mass-balance basis.

According to World Fuel Services, the U.K. defense ministry is now working to introduce the SAF into its dedicated pipeline system.

The collaboration between World Fuel Services and the U.K.’s defense ministry marked the first step towards advancing the use of renewables and demonstrated World Fuel’s commitment to providing SAF supply in larger volumes to military organizations that demand it.

This is also in line with the ministry’s energy strategy, which was published in December and shapes the defense ministry’s approach to energy transition.

Under the follow-on agreement, World Fuel will deliver 5.15 million liters of SAF directly to the U.K. defense ministry from July to September.

Prior to the previous delivery of 4 million liters, SAF deliveries had only been in small parcels transported by truck via ferry and used for testing or single exhibit flights.

The 2023-2024 agreement was the first program from the U.K.’s defense ministry with a large-volume commitment. 

“World Fuel is committed to collaboration and investment to help our defense customers transition to renewables,” said John Wynn, World Fuel Services’ senior vice president of government solutions. “Defense agreements like the Inverness SAF program demonstrate our ability to access our extensive supply-chain capabilities and deliver renewables where our military customers are ready. Our experience in defense fuel-supply chains was honed in Afghanistan, where we supported NATO. Most recently, we were awarded the Australian Defence Forces’ deployable bulk-fuel distribution system. We applaud the U.K. Royal Air Force for their leading efforts demonstrated by raising the bar with larger volumes and longer commitments. As this continues, SAF use will become more common throughout the Commonwealth’s defense organizations.”

SAF is a crucial element in the aviation industry's journey towards decarbonization as it significantly reduces greenhouse-gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel.

The SAF supplied will be eligible for incentives under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation supporting annual renewable fuel targets set by the Department of Transport.  

“Establishing the routine procurement of aviation fuel blended with SAF is a critical early step to achieving Defence’s Net Zero Aviation strategy,” said Shaun Harris, air vice-marshal of direct support. “This has been developed to improve the resilience of Defence’s energy-supply chains, as well as achieving the U.K. government’s CO2 emissions-reduction trajectory from 2020 to 2050. This work is being led by the RAF on behalf of Defence and closely aligns with the Department for Transport’s Jet Zero strategy, where a mandated incorporation of a growing proportion of SAF in the aviation fuel-supply chain will form a major part of the U.K. and Ministry of Defence’s aviation decarbonization pathway.”

World Fuel said it is committed to working with strategic partners like Neste and supporting the aviation industry in achieving sustainability goals.

Since 2015, World Fuel has delivered nearly 40 million gallons of SAF to business and commercial-aviation customers worldwide.

This collaboration with the U.K. defense ministry “is a testament to World Fuel’s expertise and ability to deliver supply-chain solutions that address the unique renewable energy needs of its customers,” the company stated.