Lufthansa and Keuhne+Nagel have agreed on an exclusive partnership to promote and use power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The companies will support the world’s first production site for synthetic crude oil in Werlte/Emsland in Germany.
On Monday (October 4, 2021), Lufthansa Cargo announced the start of an exclusive partnership with Kuehne+Nagel for the promotion and use of CO2 neutral power-to-liquid fuel. The two logistics providers will support the world’s first synthetic crude oil production site in Werlte/Emsland, Germany by purchasing the equivalent of 20 tons (25,000 liters) of the futuristic fuel, which will further reduce the CO2 footprint of aircraft engines. The production site in Werlte is operated by the German NGO atmosfair.
In Monday’s announcement, Lufthansa Cargo’s CEO, Dorothea von Boxberg, said,
“We clearly see the key to a sustainable reduction of our emissions in flight operations in the research and use of synthetic, sustainable aviation fuels. The fact that we are now pioneering power-to-liquid technology together with Kuehne+Nagel makes us particularly proud and shows once again that we are actively tackling our climate protection challenges.”
Also commenting on the new partnership, Kuehne+Nagel Management Board Member, Yngve Ruud, added,
“Already now, Kuehne+Nagel customers can avoid carbon emissions of their shipments globally with our bio SAF solutions and I am delighted to see that time has come for synthetic SAF as the long‐term solution for aviation. By securing the first power-to-liquid fuel production together with Lufthansa Cargo, we are sending a strong message of commitment and collaboration, inviting our industry colleagues and customers to join us in creating the low-carbon economy of the future already today.”
The use of CO2 neutral Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) is one of the essential pillars paving the way to responsible carbon zero aviation. SAF fuels can be produced in a variety of ways and until now, Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel have used these fuels produced from a biogenic origin such as paraffin from used cooking oils. With power-to-liquid (PTL) fuel, the synthetic crude oil is produced from regeneratively generated electricity, water and CO2, and therefore considered CO2 neutral. These electricity-based fuels are currently in development and on the way to industrial production and are considered a long-term alternative to conventional paraffin or biogenic SAF.
Atmosfair is a German non-profit climate protection organization that has built their own plant for the production of ‘syncrude”, an alternative to fossil crude oil produced by means of PTL. This crude oil is then refined into Jet A1 aviation fuel at the Heide refinery north of Hamburg, fed into the refinery’s total volume and delivered to Hamburg Airport. Atmosfair plans on placing their industrial plant, a first in Germany, into operation by the first quarter of 2022.
The Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics companies and has over 74,000 employees at 1,400 locations in more than 100 countries. With clear focus on integrated logistic solutions, the company maintains a strong market position in Sea Logistics, Air Logistics, Road Logistics and Contract Logistics.
With revenue of €2.8 billion and 6.5 billion revenue ton-kilometers in 2020, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading air freight companies, employing approximately 4,400 team members worldwide. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in over 100 countries with a dedicated fleet of freighters, as well as belly-hold cargo capacity of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress. Lufthansa Cargo also operates an extensive road feeder service network. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and is the Group’s logistics specialist.
Source: Lufthansa Cargo