Cepsa signs an alliance with Etihad to accelerate the decarbonization of air transport

MADRID, 2 Nov.

Cepsa signs an alliance with Etihad to accelerate the decarbonization of air transport

MADRID, 2 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Cepsa and Etihad have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the decarbonization of air transport through the research and production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), both companies reported.

The alliance, announced at the Adipec exhibition, held these days in Abu Dhabi, will also work on the development of new energy alternatives, such as renewable hydrogen, and on the electrification of Etihad's land fleets, which include supply vehicles, baggage loading and unloading operations and aircraft assistance.

Cepsa thus takes a further step in its strategy to take positions in the decarbonisation of a sector such as the air sector, where it has already signed alliances with other airlines such as Iberia, Vueling or TUI, among others.

The Spanish energy company and Etihad prioritize the development of these sustainable fuels as a tool to continue reducing the carbon footprint of air transport and contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the fight against climate change.

These fuels will be produced from circular raw materials that do not compete with food, such as used cooking oils or biodegradable waste from different industries, and will reduce aviation emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional kerosene.

During the signing ceremony, Cepsa's CEO, Maarten Wetselaar, considered that the decarbonisation of air transport is "one of the main challenges of our time and Cepsa is committed to playing a fundamental role in meeting this challenge together with important partners like Etihad".

"Partnerships like the one we reached today reinforce our determination to transform air transport into a more sustainable mode of transport," he said.

For his part, the financial director of Etihad Aviation Group, Adam Boukadida, pointed out that the decarbonisation of aviation is the biggest challenge facing his industry and the development of a commercially viable sustainable aviation fuel "is a key requirement to meet the objective of sustainability of the airline sector".

"Our memorandum of understanding with Cepsa allows us to address the first challenge, creating a demand for SAF, which in turn encourages higher production and increases availability to ultimately reduce costs and enable greater adoption of SAF by the industry. in general," he added.

Cepsa pointed out that this agreement is in line with the European Commission's Fit for 55 package of measures, which includes a legislative initiative called 'RefuelEU Aviation' that aims to boost the supply and demand of biofuels for aviation in the European Union up to a 2% of use in 2025, 5% in 2030 and 63% in 2050.

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