The Air France-KLM Group is fully committed to reducing its carbon footprint and aims to be a pioneer in sustainable aviation. In 2022, the group will be the first world user of SAF, with one volume representing 17% of world production. In comparison, Air France-KLM represents only 3% of global conventional kerosene consumption.
In October 2022, Air France-KLM announced the signing of a contract for the supply of DG Fuels through 600,000 tons of SAF, for deliveries between 2027 and 2036.
The Group has announced a new important step in its cooperation with DG Fuels, with an investment of 4.7 million dollars by Air France in this SAF producer. This investment, the first of its kind in Air France-KLM, represents a key step forward in strengthening the partnership between Air France KLM Group and DG Fuels. This will contribute to the completion of the development work required to obtain the Final Investment Decision (FID) at the first plant of DG Fuels, which will be located in Louisiana. This investment confirms the Group’s ambition to participate in the financing of project studies that allow the development of SAF’s production capacity, with the aim of progressively establishing a diversified supply network capable of meeting global needs.
In addition to this investment, Air France-KLM acquired a new option to purchase up to 75,000 metric tons per year of SAF from DG Fuels, with deliveries planned for 2029.
Totally committed to reducing its impact on the environment, the Air France-KLM Group aims to reduce CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 30% between now and 2030 compared to 2019. Its decarbonization trajectory includes the use of a minimum of 10% of SAF by 2030, along with other measures such as fleet renewal and eco-piloting.
“The Air France-KLM Group is delighted to expand its cooperation with DG Fuels. Supporting the development of advanced technology to convert waste into aviation fuel is an important step for the growth of the SAF industry. This is the first time that Air France-KLM has made a financial investment in a SAF producer, and we hope strengthening our long-standing partnership with DG Fuels,” declared Constance Thio, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Sustainability at Air France-KLM.
“We are very pleased to expand our strategic partnership with Air France-KLM. This expansion of our existing relationship is very important for DG Fuels and the aviation industry, as we are on track to successfully commission our first facility at SAF and then bring to life our significant expansion plans. We are delighted to be working with Air France-KLM to deploy our SAF technology to other facilities in the USA, Europe, and Asia,” declared Christopher Chaput, President and Chief Financial Officer of DG Fuels.
DG Fuels is a SAF supplier with an efficient and cost-effective production process
Thanks to the highly efficient carbon conversion process, DG Fuels maximized the amount of SAF produced from a certain amount of biomass. This efficiency, combined with a reasonable scale, translates into a very low unit production cost, which allows DG Fuels to achieve sustainable profitability while offering airlines and other SAF customers competitive prices for conventional fuel. The SAF made by DG Fuels It does not compete in any way with global food needs, requires very little water, and is produced in facilities with almost no atmospheric emissions. In line with its commitment to the use of renewable energy, DG Fuels supports the development of wind, solar, and other forms of carbon-free energy.
Destination Continuity: Air France-KLM travel continuity
Air France-KLM has been committed to environmental and social issues for many years, and all of the group’s commitments are framed by the global strategy “Destination Continuity”. This strategy is based on two main pillars: “people and culture” and “environment”.
Regarding the “people and culture” pillar, the Air France-KLM group is a socially responsible company that cares about people and culture investments in reducing noise pollution, creating a safe and inclusive workplace, and supporting the local community.
Regarding the “environment” pillar, the Air France-KLM group is building its decarbonization strategy with the aim of reducing emissions per passenger kilometer by 30% in 2030, compared to 2019, the reference year. To achieve this goal, Air France-KLM has activated all the decarbonization measures available to it:
- The fleet will be renewed with new generation aircraft, the Airbus A220 and Airbus A350, which consume less fuel, emit up to 25% less CO2, and have an average acoustic footprint reduced by 33%. In 2028, these aircraft will represent 64% of the fleet of the Air France-KLM group, thanks to an investment of 2 billion euros per year.
- Greater use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which can reduce CO2 emissions by at least 75% on average over the entire life cycle of the fuel and which does not compete with the food chain. By 2030, the group aims to use at least 10% SAF on all its flights, and 63% by 2050.
- Operation steps: including ground operations and eco-piloting measures, these initiatives, made possible by the actions of the Air France-KLM crew and ground staff trained in these practices, allow an average reduction of 4 to 5% in emissions
