Shell has found a dramatic way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The global oil giant plans to produce 2 million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for airplanes by 2025. It means both to make money and benefit the planet.
It is hard to judge how effective this solution is. Moreover, the aviation sector accounts for only 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Besides, this type of fuel is 8 times as expensive as regular jet fuel. Overall, SAF makes up less than 0.1% of the total global consumption of jet fuel. However, this fact doesn't create barriers for Shell and the company really counts on SAF’s potential. "We also expect other companies to add to it with their own production plants," Anna Mascolo, head of Shell Aviation, said. She added that sustainable aviation fuel remains the single biggest solution for cutting emissions in the aviation sector. As part of the strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Shell plans to build its biofuel processing plant in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with an annual capacity of 820,000 tons. The plant is expected to start production in 2024. In a new report on the decarbonization of aviation, Shell called for the sector to cut its emissions to net zero by 2050. The International Air Transport Association, representing most of the world's airlines, aims to halve emissions by then.
