Aberdeen International Airport has welcomed its first commercial delivery of sustainable aviation fuel, which is expected to play a major role in making jet-zero aviation a reality.

It came from Air BP - the aviation division of BP - one of the world’s leading suppliers of aviation fuel products and services.

The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be blended with traditional jet fuel for Bristow flights to BP’s North Sea operations in UK waters.

Produced from sustainable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, SAF is said to deliver up to 80% fewer lifecycle carbon emissions than the traditional jet fuel it replaces.

BP is the first North Sea operator to voluntarily commit to an ongoing supply of SAF for its North Sea flights, helping to decarbonise transport to its offshore operations.

Mark Beveridge, operations director at the airport, said: “This is an important announcement for Aberdeen International Airport and the north-east.

Reducing emissions

“It is recognised globally that SAF will play a major role in making jet-zero aviation a reality and SAF has the potential to significantly reduce UK aviation emissions. BP’s decision to make SAF commercially available at Aberdeen is a significant moment.

“There is a real opportunity for Aberdeen to help drive a domestic SAF industry here in the UK and, in doing so, we can support the decarbonisation of oil and gas sector transport."

Last year, Bristow completed one of the first SAF-powered flights in UK waters - flying an S-92 helicopter from Aberdeen to installations operated by BP.

Yasmin McCulloch, aviation operations lead at BP, said: “We are strong advocates of the use of SAF in the aviation industry. We believe its adoption is an important element in achieving the industry’s aim of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Bristow’s UK director Matt Rhodes believes there is a huge opportunity for SAF to become the fuel of choice for future North Sea oil and gas flights.

He added: “We are looking forward to working with BP and other customers so together we can continue to help drive down emissions and boost sustainability across the industry.”

Essential stepping stone

Scottish Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said the increased use of sustainable aviation fuels will be an essential stepping stone towards the Scottish aviation sector reaching net-zero.

She added: “The use of these fuels is expected to rise significantly in the coming years and could bring significant economic opportunities for Scotland, so this is a welcome first step from Aberdeen Airport.”

The creation of a SAF facility at St Fergus is a key part of the North East Scotland Green Freeport bid. A SAF plant would create up to 920 jobs and £133million in GVA per year.

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