Irish airline Ryanair has signed a memorandum of understanding with Repsol to secure the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at the airports it operates from in Spain and Portugal. The agreement will give the company access to up to 155,000 tonnes of SAF between 2025 and 2030. This amount, which could be used to operate 28,000 flights between Dublin and Madrid, will save around 490,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by replacing traditional fuel.

Thanks to the agreement, Ryanair will be able to advance on the pathway towards its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. SAF is key for achieving the decarbonisation of aviation, but at present it still only represents a small percentage of the fuel used by aircraft worldwide.

Net-zero emissions
Ryanair's roadmap calls for SAF to account for 12.5% of all the fuel used by its aircraft by 2030, with the aim being to complete the decarbonisation of its operations and achieve 100% by 2050. The agreement with Repsol is an important step on this path.

Meeting at Repsol's headquarters to sign the document, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson explained, “SAF plays a key role in Ryanair's pathway to net zero strategy and our goal of using 12.5% SAF by 2030. Achieving this requires multiple different feedstocks and production methods and we're encouraged that Repsol are looking at multiple solutions. This agreement helps Ryanair secure access to almost 15% of this ambitious goal."

Key sustainability partner
In Wilson’s words “Repsol is a key sustainability partner for Ryanair, and we look forward to building on this collaboration as our Group grows to carry 225 million passengers annually by FY2026”.

Valero Marín, the Spanish company’s Executive Managing Director of Client, mindful that the agreement “reinforces our commitment to the aviation sector and is another step in Repsol's commitment to renewable fuels”, responded that, “The aviation sector needs solutions like SAF fuels to support the decarbonisation process it is currently undergoing. This also consolidates our position as a multi-energy company with the objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050."

^{Photo: Ryanair}