RefuelEU Aviation entered into force in January 2025 with a 2% blending obligation for jet fuel uplifted at EU airports, rising to 6% in 2030 and 70% by 2050. Neste, the dominant European producer, supplies hydroprocessed esters and fatty acid kerosene from its Rotterdam and Porvoo refineries with a combined capacity of approximately 1.5 million tonnes per year, while ENI’s Venice biorefinery adds several hundred thousand tonnes annually.
Carrier Procurement Commitments
Lufthansa Group signed a multi-hundred-million-EUR agreement with Shell Aviation in 2024 for synthetic kerosene supply through 2030. Air France-KLM committed to a 10% sustainable blend by 2030 under its Trajectoire SAF programme, sourcing through TotalEnergies at Grandpuits and via Neste Rotterdam. IAG announced a sustainability investment fund covering BA and Iberia uplifts, anchored by offtake contracts with LanzaJet.
Production Pathway Economics
HEFA kerosene from used cooking oil costs roughly 1,800-2,200 EUR per tonne against approximately 750 EUR for fossil Jet A-1, a premium of around 2.5x that operators pass through fuel surcharges. Power-to-Liquid synthetic kerosene from Norsk e-Fuel runs closer to 3,500 EUR per tonne but counts toward the dedicated 0.7% PtL sub-mandate from 2030. The CORSIA verification regime requires ISCC EU certification across the supply chain.
Operational Integration
Frankfurt and Amsterdam Schiphol pump the blended fuel through standard hydrant systems without aircraft modification because ASTM D7566 certifies up to 50% drop-in blends. Schiphol delivered blended fuel from August 2022 across all into-plane operations, an industry first in continental Europe. Aircraft on Lufthansa’s Green Fares routes from Munich now uplift a verified small percentage of blended SAF with Compensaid neutralising the residual emissions through reforestation credits.