French energy company TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with UAE renewables firm Masdar to assess the viability of developing a commercial project in Abu Dhabi to produce methanol and sustainable aviation fuel from green hydrogen.

The project envisages the capture of CO₂ from an industrial source for use as a feedstock alongside green hydrogen to produce methanol, which would then be used to produce SAF.

The collaboration follows a successful demonstration flight conducted by the two companies during COP28 in December 2023, which showcased the potential of converting methanol into SAF.

TotalEnergies and Masdar are both working to develop a market for SAF as the push to try to decarbonise aviation gathers pace.

Aviation is a key focus for Masdar’s rapidly growing green hydrogen business. Over the past three years, the company has forged a number of strategic partnerships designed to support the development of the SAF sector. It is involved in promoting SAF through a UAE-led consortium named Air-CRAFT, which includes aerospace compan Boeing and the airlines Etihad and Emirates.

The UAE’s General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel set a voluntary target of providing 1% of fuel supplied to national airlines at UAE airports using locally produced SAF by 2031.

Airbus alliance

TotalEnergies recently entered a strategic partnership with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Under the agreement, the French firm will aim to supply more than half of Airbus' SAF needs in Europe. The two firms will also collaborate on a research and innovation programme focused on developing sustainable fuels for current and future aircraft designs.

All Airbus aircraft are capable of flying on a maximum 50% blend of SAF and conventional jet fuel. However, by 2030, all its aircraft and helicopters will be capable of flying with up to 100% SAF, the company has said.

TotalEnergies employs two main methods for producing SAF. The first involves producing SAF in a biorefinery, which is then stored and blended with conventional jet fuel (up to 50%). The second method is co-processing, which integrates biobased feedstock with traditional fossil feedstock during the refining process.

However, Airbus has said it expects hydrogen-based SAF to dominate the market in the future. “Most of the sustainable aviation fuel that we will be using by the time we get to 2050 will be hydrogen-based,” said Glenn Llewellyn, vice-president for zero-emission aircraft.

 “We will need masses of decarbonised hydrogen for the future of aviation,” he told an event at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow in July.

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Author: Razel Ahmed