Aramco, TotalEnergies, and SIRC Explore New Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), TotalEnergies, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) have announced a joint development and cost-sharing agreement to evaluate the potential for establishing a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration aims to leverage the expertise of these companies to develop an SAF plant in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom. According to Saudi Press Agency, the announcement of this collaboration coincides with the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Saudi Arabia. The evaluation phase of the project will focus on innovative engineering and technological solutions to recycle and process local waste or circular economy by-products, such as cooking oils and animal fats, to produce SAF. Amin Hassan Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, emphasized the importance of addressing aviation emissions through low-carbon alternatives, stating that it is crucial given the expected growth in air travel demand. He highli ghted the role of major global energy companies like Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies in reducing emissions and finding innovative solutions. Nasser also underscored the strong partnership between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies and the goal of establishing a sustainable aviation fuel plant in the Kingdom, which will benefit both domestic and international airlines. Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with Saudi Aramco and SIRC in assessing SAF production in Saudi Arabia. He highlighted the importance of advancing efforts to decarbonize air transport. Ziyad Al-Shiha, CEO of SIRC, noted that the partnership aligns with SIRC's commitment to supporting the sustainability goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative. He emphasized the focus on increasing waste-to-resource conversion rates and described the collaboration as a significant step toward advancing the circular economy in the Kingdom.