2023-09-13 19:18:43
The plenary session of European Parliament this Wednesday gave the green light to the new rules that will impose the use of at least 70% of ecological fuels to airplanes operating in airports of the European Union on the horizon of 2050, a milestone for which they must already load at least 2% sustainable fuels in their tanks by 2025.
The new rules, which were agreed by the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Twenty-seven last April, raise the objective of green fuels‘ that the European Commission proposed as the start of the negotiation (65%) but does not reach the 85% that the MEPs demanded during the negotiations.
The consensual modulation starts from 2% in 2025 with increases every five years, so that the minimum objective in 2030 will be 6% ‘green’ fuels, 20% in 2035; 34% in 2040 and 42% in 2045; until reaching 70% in 2050.
Lacking only the formal approval of the Twenty-Seven for its definitive adoption, the agreement – validated this Wednesday with the support of 518 MEPs, 97 against and 8 abstentions— will apply from January 1, 2024, with some provisions postponed until January 1, 2025.
In the definition of sustainable fuel For aviation, both synthetic fuels and biofuels obtained from agricultural or forestry waste, algae, organic waste or used cooking oil are included.
In the case of synthetics, the agreement specifies the specific proportion of the mixture so that, for example, for e-kerosene it is set at 1.2% in 2030; 2% in 2032; 5% in 2035 and progressively up to 35% in 2050.
At the proposal of the MEPs, they will also be included recycled fuels produced from gases emitted in waste processing or obtained from plastic waste.
In addition, those fuels that can be obtained from food crops and forage or those derived from palm oil and soybeans are excluded because they do not meet the sustainability criteria set by the EU.
The new legislation, which is part of a broader climate package with the EU’s environmental objectives for the coming decades, provides for the creation of a European ‘green’ stamp for flights from 2025, with the aim that airlines can accredit the carbon footprint per passenger and the estimated CO2 emissions per kilometer and thus allow travelers to compare which are the most sustainable options for completing their route.
“It’s a big step towards aviation decarbonization“, celebrated the rapporteur of the European Parliament’s position, Ciudadanos MEP José Ramón Bauzá, who has also called on national governments to support the industry to “guarantee the profitable deployment of sustainable aviation fuels throughout Europe.”
Spanish airlines, “satisfied”
The Association of Airlines (ALA) has shown itself “satisfied” by the new European regulation about SAF and has taken the opportunity to demand incentives from the Spanish Government to encourage its use.
In the opinion of the president of the Association, Javier Gándara, it would be necessary a “decided” commitment from the Government for this solution. “We are presented with an important country opportunity that goes beyond the airline sector, but that requires public aid,” said the manager, recalling that other countries such as France or the United States are already offering million-dollar aid.
For its part, Repsol has stressed that it is “pioneer” in the manufacture of sustainable fuels of aviation in Spain, playing a “key role” in moving towards more sustainable mobility in the Spanish air sector.
In this sense, the company has claimed the signing of different strategic agreements, starting in 2021 with an alliance with Iberia, which has allowed it to carry out, among others, the first national and long-haul flight with biofuel produced in Spain from waste. .
Last year, it reached an agreement with the Air and Space Army, whereby the Águila Patrol used, for the first time in the Columbus Day air parade, a renewable fuel produced by Repsol.
Likewise, in 2023 it signed a collaboration agreement with Gestair and another with the Irish airline Ryanair, which will provide access to a maximum of 155,000 tons of SAF between 2025 and 2030.
Also this year, Repsol will launch the first plant exclusively dedicated to the production of biofuels advanced plants of Spain, in Cartagena, with the capacity to produce 250,000 tons per year of advanced biofuels such as biodiesel, biojet, bionaphtha and biopropane, which can be used in airplanes, ships, trucks or cars.
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