Neste and Boeing to lead the industry on commercialization of renewable aviation fuels

Neste Corporation
Press Release
4 November 2015 at 4 pm (EET)

Neste and Boeing to lead the industry on commercialization of renewable aviation fuels

Neste, the leading producer of renewable diesel and Boeing, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer will work together to promote and accelerate the commercialization of renewable aviation fuel. The companies will work toward American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) fuel standard approval allowing the commercial use of high freezing point renewable aviation fuel by airlines. The goal is also to gain widespread market acceptance for renewable aviation fuels, and to progress sustainability accreditation efforts.

Neste anticipates that its high-quality renewable aviation fuel could help the aviation industry to achieve its greenhouse gas saving targets: carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005.

"Airlines and airplane manufacturers are undertaking several initiatives to lower the industry's carbon footprint, and renewable aviation fuel will be a key part of their long-term environmental solution," says Kaisa Hietala, Neste's Executive Vice President of Renewable Products.  "We are very excited to work with Boeing, in order to help create a commercially viable market for renewable aviation fuels".

"Boeing is proud to collaborate with Neste, a global leader in renewable fuel production, to meet our shared goals of expanding the supply and reducing the cost of sustainable aviation biofuel," says Julie Felgar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Managing Director of Environmental Strategy & Integration. "The aviation industry is committed to making air travel more sustainable."

In 2014, Boeing successfully tested Neste's renewable aviation fuel in a 15% blend with petroleum jet fuel in the Boeing ecoDemonstrator 787, a test airplane that assesses technologies that can reduce aviation's environmental footprint. The 787 made an initial flight with this biofuel blend in one engine, followed by several flights with the biofuel blend in both engines. Based on its test flights, Boeing reported that "the airplane performed as designed with the renewable jet blend, just as it does with conventional jet fuel". 

Produced entirely from renewable and sustainable raw materials, Neste's renewable aviation fuel will provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%; in addition, the fuel is free of aromatics and sulfur, which should result in cleaner turbine exhaust emissions. Neste's renewable aviation fuel is energy dense and has good thermal stability properties making it an excellent blending component.

Neste Corporation

Kaisa Lipponen
Director, Corporate Communications

Further information:

Virpi Kröger, Marketing & Sales Development, Renewable Products, Neste, tel. + 358 10 458 4379, virpi.kroger(at)neste.com

Jessica Kowal, Environmental Communications, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, tel. +1 206-660-6849, jessica.m.kowal(at)boeing.com

Neste in brief

Neste is a forerunner in oil refining and renewable solutions. We offer our customers cleaner traffic solutions and industrial products based on cutting-edge research. We are the leading producer of renewable diesel in the world, with an annual production volume of more than 2 million tons. We are also the world's largest producer of renewable fuels from waste and residues. Our sustainable practices have received recognition in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable companies. In 2014, our revenue amounted to EUR 15 billion. Neste shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. Cleaner traffic, energy and life are moved forward by 5,000 professionals. Learn more at neste.com

Boeing in brief

Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and the leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Boeing also is the aviation industry's leader in collaborating globally to develop sustainable aviation biofuel and reduce aviation's carbon emissions. The company has active biofuel projects on six continents, including in the U.S., Australia, Africa, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Middle East, South Africa and Southeast Asia.