ADNOC has announced that its Ruwais Refinery has obtained the International Sustainability Carbon Certification (ISCC) to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), making it the first company in the Middle East to earn the distinction.

The ISCC EU/CORSIA PLUS “Co Processing” international certification enables ADNOC to supply its SAF to international airlines at Abu Dhabi Airport.

“The development of sustainable aviation fuel is a key part of our strategy to deliver lower carbon fuels to our customers. We are committed to supporting the aviation industry’s effort to ramp-up the use of sustainable aviation fuel as one of the key pillars to decarbonize air travel,” said Sultan Al Bigishi, acting-CEO of ADNOC Refining.

ADNOC Global Trading is responsible for sourcing suitable bio feedstocks from the market into refinery operations. As our face to the market, trading can ramp up these activities to supply global and domestic customers with lower-carbon and more sustainable alternative fuels, products, and feedstocks as ADNOC said in a recent press release.

“This certification is an important step forward on our sustainability journey and will open a whole host of new opportunities both in the UAE and beyond. Trading biofuels enables ADNOC to offer our global and domestic customers more sustainable alternatives. As first adopters in the region, we are well-placed to meet the drive-in market demand for these sought-after, internationally certified products,” said Ahmad Bin Thalith, CEO of ADNOC Global Trading.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is derived from lower-carbon feedstocks, such as cooking oils, and shares a similar chemical composition with conventional jet fuel, making it a suitable “drop-in” fuel. It represents one of the most effective solutions for decarbonizing aviation, and ADNOC is actively working to incorporate SAF into its portfolio in response to customer demand, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the aviation industry as ADNOC stated.

Notably, ADNOC continues to take transformative steps to make today’s energy cleaner while investing in the clean energies of tomorrow to strengthen its position as a reliable and responsible global energy provider. It supports the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and has brought forward its net zero ambition by five years to 2045.