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| This December 2022 file photo shows the sun setting over a Korean Air cargo plane parked at the Cargo Terminal of Incheon International Airport. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
GS Caltex, Korea's second-biggest refiner by sales, said Tuesday it has supplied Finnish refiner Neste's renewable aviation fuel to Korean Air's cargo plane bound for Los Angeles.
It is the first time for a Korean refiner to bring sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from overseas for the use of the renewable jet fuel in a domestic aircraft.
GS Caltex has received SAF from Neste, a Finnish oil company and the world's biggest producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel refined from waste and residues, for the domestic supply, the company said in a statement.
But the company did not provide the value of the supply deal and supply volumes.
The Korean Air cargo plane, which has filled 2 percent of its fuel tank with SAF, is set to fly to Los Angeles at 5:45 p.m. from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.
"This marks the first time that our SAF has been delivered to Korea, and we look forward to further expanding our cooperation with both Korean Air and GS Caltex in the future," Sami Jauhiainen, acting executive vice president from the renewable aviation business unit at Neste, said in the statement.
GS Caltex said it will expand business partnerships with Neste and seek opportunities to supply the renewable jet fuel to other airlines in Korea.
Korean Air said it is planning six demonstration flights on LA-bound cargo planes using SAF by November.
Based on the demonstration flights, the government plans to set standards regarding the quality of renewable aviation fuel, safety, fuel efficiency and others, Korean Air said in a statement.
The national flag carrier has used SAF on its passenger jets from Paris to Incheon since February last year in a move to join global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. But SAF is not used in passenger jets from Incheon to Paris.
SAF is a renewable aviation fuel that provides a more sustainable alternative to conventional, fossil-based jet fuel. It is widely recognized as a key solution for achieving the aviation sector's emission reduction goals. (Yonhap)
