Cepsa and Binter, two companies based in the Spanish Canary Islands, signed an agreement to promote the decarbonization of the aviation sector. Both companies will look to develop and research sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), as the aviation sector aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. Let’s investigate further.

The new agreement

Binter is a Spanish carrier based in Las Palmas Gran Canaria International Airport (LPA), in the Canary Islands. It has been flying since 1989, and it is the leading operator in the Spanish archipelago. Meanwhile, Cepsa is the main fuel supplier at Canary Islands airports.

Both companies signed an agreement to develop and research sustainable aviation fuels and other energy alternatives, such as renewable hydrogen and electrification, which could be used to power the airline’s ground fleets (supply vehicles, baggage loading, aircraft assistance, and more).

This partnership supports several Sustainable Development Goals, such as ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable energy. Both companies are also looking to promote sustained, inclusive economic growth while taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Additionally, the agreement is in line with the European Union’s plans to boost the supply and demand of SAF to reach 2% usage by 2025, 5% by 2030, and 63% by 2050.

Last year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved a resolution to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This goal will be mainly achieved through Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Around 65% of the 1.8 gigatons of carbon that have to be mitigated will come from SAF.

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Traveling with pets can be a stressful endeavor. Photo: Getty Images

A more sustainable future

Worldwide, airlines are working towards promoting the sustainability of air transport. In recent months, many carriers have announced their work towards using SAF. For instance, Singapore Airlines is set to use SAF starting in 2022’s third quarter. Other airlines doing similar work are British Airways, Austrian Airlines, Qantas, airBaltic, for example.

With regard to the recent Binter-Cepsa alliance, Rodolfo Núñez, the airline’s president, said,

"With this alliance, we take a very important step in Binter's goal to provide air transport service in the most sustainable way possible. To do this, it is essential to promote the consumption of new fuels with low environmental impact, which we will soon be able to start applying to our flights thanks to our joint work with Cepsa.”

Both companies will develop and produce SAF from circular raw materials such as used cooking oils and non-food animal fats.

Binter ATR72 getty
Photo: Getty Images

About Binter

Binter currently has a fleet of 29 aircraft, according to ch-aviation’s database. The airline has 15 active aircraft, including four ATR 72-500, six ATR 72-600, five Embraer E190-400, two inactive ATR 72-500, and 12 leased ATR 72-600.

The Spanish carrier mainly operates interisland connections in the Canary Islands. Nonetheless, it also flies outside the archipelago. It has services to 11 destinations in the rest of Spain. These destinations are Vigo, A Coruña, Asturias, Santander, San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Mallorca, Murcia, and Jerez de la Frontera.

Additionally, Binter has an international schedule connecting to 16 destinations in Africa and Europe. Its international destinations are Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Dakhla, El Aaiún, Nouakchott, Dakar, Banjul, and Sal in Africa, as well as Madeira, Lisbon, Turin, Venice, Toulouse, Marseille, and Lille in Europe.

Do you think aviation will develop and scale the availability of SAF rapidly enough to accomplish the industry’s goals by 2050? Let us know in the comments below.