Davos lures SAF into Swiss aviation fuel mix

Neste's sustainable aviation fuel permeated Swiss blends for the first time amid increased air traffic for the World Economic Forum, the world's largest renewable jet fuel producer has announced.

In a statement late Monday, the Finnish producer detailed plans to supply Zurich Airport with SAF during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in nearby Davos between January 21-24. No details regarding specific volumes were made available.

The introduction of SAF aligns with the Forum's stated commitment to sustainability, allowing attendees — many of whom arrive by private aircraft — to incorporate the drop-in fuel with its traditional counterpart, thereby reducing carbon emissions.

"The aviation industry has set clear targets for a more sustainable future," said Thorsten Lange, Neste's executive vice president for renewable aviation. "And as the world leaders gather at the World Economic Forum, we are proud to...offer WEF visitors our sustainable aviation fuel, which contributes to efficient reduction of aviation related greenhouse gas emissions."

Neste has total SAF capacity of 100,000 mt across Europe and North America, with plans to expand total production to 1 million mt over the next two years.

While Northern Europe has led SAF-incorporation efforts with off-take agreements at airports like Schiphol and Oslo, Neste's most recent move marks the first use of the product in Switzerland.

The aviation industry is the first sector to agree to global climate mitigation efforts, with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) outlining airlines' goal for carbon-neutral growth beginning in 2020.