Green aviation soaring to new heights?

A recent WMO report paints a grim picture for our climate. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere have reached record heights, potentially warming the planet further and leading to more extreme climate events. Thankfully, it seems as if the aviation industry is joining the good fight to lessen the effects of CO₂.

News agency Reuters highlights the findings of the new report by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published ahead of next month’s UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil: “From 2023 to 2024, the global average concentration of CO₂ rose by 3.5 parts per million – the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957, according to the report.”

The Reuters piece, “CO₂ levels hit highest ever recorded, WMO says, warning of more extreme weather,” continues: “The burning of fossil fuels and an increase in wildfires, particularly in South America, drove the rise in CO₂ levels over the last year, it (the WMO report) said, stressing more needs to be done to reduce emissions.”

MOL Group, one of the earliest producers of aviation biofuels in Europe, is answering this call. It announced the completion of another sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel production test in August. The company successfully produced SAF for the first time at INA’s Rijeka Refinery in Croatia during a pilot project, alongside a substantial volume of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a form of renewable diesel.

The achievement marks the second successful SAF and HVO production test within MOL Group, following a Slovakian pilot at Slovnaft’s Bratislava refinery in February. In those first trials, the company produced HVO using oil from cashew nut shells, which was then processed with crude oil. The process, known as co-processing, has been refined at MOL’s Danube Refinery in Százhalombatta, Hungary, for years.

By mixing plant residues with fossil components and processing them simultaneously during production, the company reduces the emissions of traditional fuels. For SAF production, partially refined cooking oil was processed alongside traditional crude oil raw materials.

The latest pilot project at Rijeka, conducted in cooperation with Chevron Lummus Global (the licensor of the refinery’s hydrocracking unit*), demonstrates the careful balance required in SAF production. The fuel can only be produced from renewable feedstocks such as materials of vegetable origin or waste, yet it must meet the same exacting technical and environmental specifications as conventional kerosene, the flammable hydrocarbon liquid commonly used as jet fuel.

The scarcity of SAF production capacity worldwide makes each successful test significant. Currently, few refineries can produce sustainable aviation fuel, and the current and projected global supply falls dramatically short of demand – a gap reflected in pricing.

At Rijeka, the project tested the co-processing of 5% palm oil mill effluent (POME) – a byproduct of palm oil production – with fossil feedstocks, processing 1,000 tonnes of biogenic feedstock in total. Bureau Veritas, an independent auditor, certified the entire process in accordance with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standard for sustainable biofuels.

“MOL Group already produces diesel and sustainable aviation fuel from renewable feedstocks and is ready to expand production. This readiness underscores our strategic commitment to sustainable mobility – whether in road or air transport,” says Csaba Zsótér, senior vice president of fuels at MOL Group.

“For us, becoming a complex mobility service provider means offering an increasingly diverse range of fuels, thus creating all the necessary conditions for a smart energy transition for our customers,” he continues. “We are already playing a leading role in this process in the region, and we are determined to maintain this position through continued investments and innovation.” 

The company states that it will continue to research and develop new possibilities for biofuel production and use. In partnership with Budapest Airport, Wizz Air and Airport Fuel Supply, MOL Group launched commercial testing of SAF in Hungary in 2022. The company now sells SAF as part of regular operations in Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia, in quantities equivalent to approximately 14 kilotonnes of biocomponents.

While SAF production addresses the fuel sustainability challenge in aviation, the air cargo industry has been evolving through another avenue – the expanded use of narrow-body freighters. The role of these aircraft in air cargo has progressed quickly in recent years, driven largely by the introduction of new models designed to meet current logistics demands.

The Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A321-200 are two examples of modern narrow-body planes that are leading the way in this change. They have better aerodynamics, lighter composite materials and more modern, fuel-efficient engines, as noted by European air cargo specialist Magma Aviation. This means they produce less pollution and cost less to run than older planes.

”Operating a smaller aircraft on short and medium-haul routes reduces fuel consumption per trip and easily caters to a wide range of industries such as e-commerce and perishables that require a quick turnaround at a lesser space capacity,” Magma Aviation points out.

It adds that narrow-body freighters have become a key feature of regional air cargo networks in Europe and the Middle East. They are great solutions in places with good infrastructure and great demand, since they are efficient, produce fewer emissions and can move between busy trade centres.

“Meanwhile in Africa, narrow-body presence has been consistently growing in the previous years, but remains more limited due to some geographical dynamics and limited airport infrastructure,” it says. “However, narrow-bodies are slowly carving out their place as new freighter models are being introduced to the market, allowing more cargo volume and longer range compared to existing freighters in service.”

Wide-body freighters still handle high-volume, long-haul routes that connect key global hubs. Narrow-body aircraft, on the other hand, are useful for getting to secondary airports and smaller regional markets. They generally work as feeder services, moving cargo from regional airports to bigger international hubs.

This partnership between wide-body and narrow-body fleets makes the network more connected and gives clients around the world faster, more flexible and more reliable transportation. This is exactly why Magma Aviation decided to add these aircraft to its fleet, as the global demand for regional and long-haul cargo continues to grow across several industries.

Green aviation is indeed climbing, albeit slowly. While sustainable fuels and efficient aircraft show promise, closing the emissions gap requires extraordinary scale-up. The true test for the industry still lies ahead.

* A hydrocracking unit is a petroleum refinery process that uses hydrogen, a catalyst and high pressure to break down heavy, low-quality oils into lighter, higher-value products like petrol, diesel and jet fuel.