TotalEnergies and China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, Sinopec, have signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) to jointly develop a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production unit at a SINOPEC’s refinery in China, aimed to produce 230,000 tons of SAF per year using local waste and residues from the circular economy such as cooking oils and animal fats.

TotalEnergies, a leading SAF producer in Europe, will bring its expertise and experience in the technical, operational, and distribution fields to the project.

Sinopec, on the other hand, has developed its own SAF production technology, called SRJET in 2009. China produced bio-jet fuel in December 2011 that was successfully tested in flight at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport in April 2013. After two years of evaluation, experts confirmed Sinopec’s bio-jet fuel as suitable for operation in aviation, and the company obtained China’s first airworthiness certification for bio-jet fuel in 2014.

“This milestone collaboration with TotalEnergies is in line with our strategy to develop low-carbon solutions for China and the world. Sinopec is committed to providing green and low-carbon energy solutions while improving the quality and efficiency of its asset portfolio,” said Yongsheng Ma, SINOPEC Group Chairman.

For his part, Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies, said, “We are very pleased to collaborate with sinopec, a major player in the global refining industry, to produce sustainable aviation fuels and structure a SAF production chain in China.”

“The development of sustainable aviation fuels is at the heart of our company’s transition strategy, as we strive to meet the aviation industry’s demand to reduce its carbon footprint. TotalEnergies has set a target of 1.5 million tons of annual SAF production by 2030,” Pouyanné added.