TotalEnergies, Daher & Groupe ADP open permanent SAF facility

30 pc reduction in carbon emissions with new fuel

Three French companies, TotalEnergies, Daher and Groupe ADP have come together to launch a permanent facility for sustainable aviation fuel at the Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport, near Paris.

With the launch of an alternative fuel offer containing sustainable aviation fuel at the Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport, about 20 km from Paris, three French companies, TotalEnergies, Daher and Groupe ADP have joined hands to contribute to the decarbonisation of air transport, in particular for general aviation.

In a press statement, the companies say that available since the beginning of June for all users who wish to utilise it, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced and distributed by TotalEnergies comes from waste and residues from the circular economy. It is incorporated up to 35 pc with conventional kerosene. This mixture, which has technical properties similar to those of standard aeronautical fuel, does not require any modification to the airplanes or to the logistical infrastructures or refuelling operations. 

It allows a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of up to 30 pc, over the entire life cycle, compared to its fossil equivalent.
 
The statement adds that decarbonisation issues are at the heart of Groupe ADP’s commitments through its ‘2025 Pioneers’ strategic plan. As such, the Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport constitutes an innovation and training laboratory which brings together associative and private entities, as well as aircraft manufacturers and maintainers in the heart of the Saclay plateau. The launch of this unique offer on an airport confirms its positioning at the forefront of decarbonisation for more sustainable general aviation, the companies say.
 
TotalEnergies has been distributing fuel on the Paris-Saclay-Versailles site for more than 50 years and provides its customers with multi-energy solutions which, for some, contribute to decarbonising their operations. It has two electric charging stations intended for light aircraft, an offer of SP 98-type fuel adapted for aviation use, the alternative fuel containing SAF and four electric refueling vehicles to reduce emissions from ground operations.

“We are delighted to be able to complete our offer with SAF for users of the Paris-Saclay-Versailles platform and thus meet the strong demand from the aeronautics sector to reduce its carbon footprint. “Sustainable aviation fuels are essential for reducing CO2 emissions from air transport, and their development is fully in line with the company’s climate ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, together with society. We also aim to produce 1.5 million tonnes of SAF by 2030,” says Louise Tricoire, Director of Aviation and Marine Fuels at TotalEnergies.

“This provision of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport, where we have one of our main maintenance bases in France, is an important step for the promotion of these fuels to our customers. Since 2022, we have been using the mixture of Jet A-1 and SAF on our TBM and Kodiak aircraft for flight operations at our French industrial site in Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées, or at airports where it is available. Daher is strongly committed to the transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050,” says Nicolas Chabbert, CEO, Daher Aircraft division.

“The Paris-Saclay-Versailles aerodrome constitutes a real incubator for promoting sustainable and innovative aviation. After the installation of charging stations to support the growth of electric aviation in 2023, this new initiative in favor of decarbonization of general aviation is aimed more particularly at travel airplanes and helicopters present on the platform. We are convinced that this sustainable aeronautical fuel offering will generate increasing demand which will gradually allow us to decarbonise all operations,” says Sebastien Couturier, Director, Paris-Le Bourget Airport and general aviation aerodromes.