Last June, the Canary Islands obtained an exception for the islands until 2030 in the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions trading scheme for air connections with the 27 member countries of the European Union, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
However, if the archipelago wants to remain committed to further progress in sustainable tourism, something that is increasingly demanded by tourists visiting the islands, the production and use of biofuels must remain on the Canary Islands' agenda.
There is already a national example. Cepsa and Air Europa have sealed an alliance whereby the energy company will supply 14.4 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the airline for one year to cover the first monthly Madrid-Havana flight.
This is the first time that two companies in Spain have established a regular supply of this sustainable fuel for a specific air route.
During the period of collaboration between Cepsa and Air Europa, the emission of about 50 tons of CO2 will be avoided, the equivalent of planting 575 trees.
The trips, which will have 2% SAF in the aircraft tanks, will serve as a test to anticipate the objectives set by the European Union in its legislative initiative "ReFuelEU Aviation", developed to promote sustainability in the aviation sector.
The law will require the progressive use of biofuels in aviation
Currently there is no obligation to introduce SAF in flights, but this new regulation will require European airlines to increasingly incorporate amounts of sustainable fuel in the coming years: 2% in 2025, 6% in 2030 and 70% in 2050.
Cepsa produces this second-generation biofuel (2G) at its La Rábida Energy Park, in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), from organic waste and used cooking oils.
These second-generation biofuels, in addition to being able to reduce aircraft emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional kerosene, promote the circular economy, as they are produced from waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Within its Positive Motion strategy, Cepsa, with the aim of promoting the decarbonization of aviation, aims to lead the production of SAF in Spain and Portugal, with an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons in 2030, an amount of sustainable fuel sufficient to fly over the planet 2000 times.
In this context, the company recently announced that it has started marketing SAF at the airports of Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Seville, through which more than 133 million passengers pass each year.
In this way, Cepsa becomes the first company to offer 2G biofuel for aviation on a permanent basis at four of the main Spanish airports.
Cepsa will invest 1,000 million in a new biofuel plant in Huelva
To guarantee the supply of SAF to its customers, Cepsa will develop the largest second-generation biofuel plant in southern Europe, together with Bio-Oils, through an investment of up to 1,000 million euros.
This facility, which will be launched in 2026 in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), will have a flexible production capacity of 500,000 tons of SAF and renewable diesel.
For its part, in application of this agreement, Air Europa takes a further step in achieving its decarbonization objectives through sustainable innovation, leading the regular use of SAF by its B787 Dreamliner fleet, one of the most efficient on the market, capable of reducing both emissions and fuel consumption by 20%.
