OMV, Austrian Airlines are taking off with sustainable aviation fuel

The two companies agreed on the production and fueling of 1,500 metric tons of SAF in the coming year 2022.

For the first time ever, OMV and Austrian Airlines (AUA) are producing and using regional Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Austria. The two companies agreed on the production and fueling of 1,500 metric tons of SAF in the coming year 2022.

The sustainable fuel is produced at the OMV Schwechat Refinery by co-processing Austrian used cooking oil in the fuel production process. Compared to conventional kerosene, SAF makes for a CO2 reduction of more than 80% over the entire lifecycle. One technical key advantage of the sustainable aviation fuel is that the existing infrastructure can be used for storage and refueling.

The use of 1,500 metric tons of SAF by Austrian Airlines will save around 3,750 metric tons of CO2. This compares to the CO2 emissions of 333 Vienna-London flights with a typical short to medium-haul AUA aircraft (Airbus A320).

“They represent a readily available, easily applicable way of reducing emissions and are equivalent to conventional fuels in terms of quality and performance. We are very serious about our role in the energy transition and will continue to work on reducing the CO2 intensity of our portfolio in the future,” Alfred Stern, CEO of OMV Aktiengesellschaft.

Lufthansa Group has pledged to halve its net CO2 emissions by 2030 and make its business CO2 neutral from 2050. Based on the strategic outlook for the aviation sector, OMV sees sustainable aviation fuels as an important addition to its future jet fuel range alongside conventional kerosene.