Renewable Energy Masdar and TotalEnergies team up to produce SAF By Eva Levesque August 2, 2024, 9:57 AM Masdar Sustainable aviation fuel could significantly help cut emissions UAE targets 1% sustainable aviation fuel Methanol produced from green hydrogen Aims for 700m litres a year by 2030 Masdar, the UAE’s state-backed clean energy company, has partnered with the French energy major TotalEnergies to develop the commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using methanol produced from green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi. The two companies agreed to assess the project’s viability after a “successful test flight” during Cop28 last December, which demonstrated the potential for converting methanol to SAF, Masdar said in a statement on Thursday. The project aims to help decarbonise hard-to-abate emission-intensive sectors such as the aviation and maritime industries. The green hydrogen will be produced from renewable energy, while using the CO2 captured from an industrial source as a feedstock. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight to your inbox every week SAF is an alternative liquid fuel produced from sources including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste and non-food crops, or synthesised using captured carbon. According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), its use could contribute around 65 percent of the emissions reduction needed by aviation to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Only 600 million litres of SAF were produced worldwide in 2023, according to Iata statistics. This output is expected to triple this year but is still marginal. Masdar taps green debt market to finance expansion The Gulf is well-placed to soar on SAF – but not yet BP joins Masdar in Egyptian green hydrogen project The air transport sector will need almost 450 billion litres of SAF by 2050 to reach the zero target. The UAE set a voluntary target of providing 1 percent of locally produced SAF to national airlines at UAE airports by 2031. The Gulf state seeks to develop a national regulatory framework for SAF to support the long-term economic operation of facilities for it in the country. By 2030, the UAE plans to produce 700 million litres of SAF annually. Masdar, owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Taqa, and one of the sovereign wealth funds, Mubadala, has a mandate to reach a portfolio of 100 gigawatts (GW) of renewables worldwide by 2030 and aims to become a leading producer of green hydrogen. Aviation is the focus of its green hydrogen business. The company has developed a number of strategic partnerships over the last three years, including agreements with Boeing and Airbus to support the development and growth of the SAF industry. The hydrogen rainbow Green hydrogen is produced on a carbon-neutral basis through water electrolysis. Turquoise hydrogen is created when natural gas is broken down into hydrogen and solid carbon with the help of methane pyrolysis. Blue hydrogen is generated from the steam reduction of natural gas. Grey hydrogen is obtained by steam reforming fossil fuels such as natural gas or coal. Sometimes other colours are ascribed to hydrogen, based on how it is produced. For red, pink and violet hydrogen, the electrolysers are driven by nuclear power. Yellow hydrogen is hydrogen produced from a mixture of renewable energies and fossil fuels. White hydrogen is a waste product of other chemical processes, while the use of coal as a fuel produces brown hydrogen.
