CAAS, Singapore Airlines and Temasek pick ExxonMobil to supply sustainable aviation fuel for Singapore pilot

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. This product will comprise 1.25 million liters 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.

This 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 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The appointment of ExxonMobil follows a Request for Proposal on November 10, 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. 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.”

Ms. Lee Wen Fen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning, Singapore Airlines, said:
“Sustainable aviation fuels are a key decarburization lever, and a critical pathway for the success of the SIA Group’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This pilot reinforces our commitment towards decarburization and sustainability across our operations. By collaborating with our partners, we can accelerate and scale up the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels in Singapore.”

Mr. Frederick Teo, Temasek’s Managing Director, Sustainable Solutions, said: “The SAF pilot marks an important step in our commitment to operationalize solutions to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like aviation. We look forward to learning useful operational lessons from the pilot, and working closely with our partners to advance the frontiers of sustainable aviation through impactful industry-wide decarburization strategies.”

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.”

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 long-standing 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 tons of SAF per annum to serve aviation markets in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”

Mr. Tan Lye Teck, Executive Vice President, Airport Management, Changi Airport Group, said: "Changi Airport Group is committed to advancing Changi as a sustainable air hub by supporting green initiatives. We will work with airlines, industry players and government agencies to accelerate the adoption of SAF at Changi Airport, to power more sustainable air travel."

Photo credit: Singapore Airlines
A joint news release by Singapore Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore was issued on February 11, 2022.