ExxonMobil to Fuel SAF Pilot in Singapore

(14 Feb 2022)  The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Singapore Airlines (SIA), and Singapore-headquartered global investment company Temasek have selected ExxonMobil as the vendor to supply and deliver sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of a pilot on the use of SAF in Singapore.

Under this pilot, SIA, with support from CAAS and Temasek, will purchase blended SAF from ExxonMobil.

The product will comprise 1.25 million litres of neat SAF (sustainable fuels that are unmixed or undiluted), which will be supplied by Neste and produced from used cooking oil and waste animal fats, and blended with refined jet fuel at ExxonMobil’s facilities in Singapore.

Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, said, “Sustainability will be a key CAAS priority in the coming years as we revive air travel and rebuild the Singapore air hub. The CAAS-SIA-Temasek SAF pilot is an important building block in our effort to develop a sustainable air hub. It will operationally validate SAF integration options in Singapore and provide insights on end-to-end cost components, potential pricing structures for cost recovery and support future policy considerations for SAF deployment.”

Singapore Airlines' aircraft at Changi Airport in Singapore. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

The blended fuel will be delivered to Changi Airport via the airport’s existing fuel hydrant system by end-July 2022. From the third quarter of 2022, all Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights will use this blended fuel. The use of the SAF over the one year pilot is expected to reduce about 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ms Geraldine Chin, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, said, “ExxonMobil is proud to join longstanding customer Singapore Airlines in the first SAF pilot in Singapore. Our well-established infrastructure and logistics capabilities allow us to supply jet fuel blended with Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel at Changi Airport. We are leveraging our resources, technology and capabilities to deliver more renewable fuels to help customers reduce their emissions.”

The appointment of ExxonMobil follows a Request for Proposal on 10 November 2021 to invite select producers and fuel suppliers to develop and execute plans to deliver blended SAF to Singapore Changi Airport. It is a follow-up to an earlier study conducted by the Singapore Government and industry players on the operational and commercial viability of using SAF at Changi Airport.

Mr Thorsten Lange, Executive Vice President Renewable Aviation of Neste, said, “We are delighted to work with ExxonMobil on this pilot to supply Singapore Airlines with locally blended Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. It fits perfectly with our longstanding commitment to Singapore’s sustainability ambitions. SAF is a key and available solution to helping aviation achieve its emission reduction targets. With our Singapore refinery expansion coming on stream in early 2023, we are able to produce up to 1 million tonnes of SAF per annum to serve aviation markets in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”