Ryanair Will Offset 1,250 Tonnes Of CO2 Emissions With Latest SAF Purchase

Ryanair Group, which is comprised of several airlines based in different European countries, has purchased an additional 500 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from OMV. Ryanair and the Austrian company signed their first agreement in October 2023.

Additional SAF

On March 8, 2024, the Irish company announced that it would take up an additional 500 tonnes of SAF in 2024, saving over 1,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions with the amount of alternative fuel. Ryanair compared the emissions savings to operating 100 flights between Dublin Airport (DUB) and Vienna Airport (VIE), separated by 922 nautical miles (1,707 kilometers).

Tom Fowler, Director of Sustainability at Ryanair, noted that in total, OMV has agreed to supply the low-cost carrier with 1,000 tonnes of SAF, with the alternative fuel playing a key part on its road to net-zero emissions. In its strategy to reduce emissions to zero, Ryanair has committed to increasing the usage of SAF over the following years.

“OMV is a key partner for Ryanair in Austria, Germany and Romania and we look forward to growing this partnership as Europe’s largest airline group.”

The two sides also have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which allows Ryanair to purchase up to 160,000 metric tonnes (157,473 imperial tonnes) of SAF from OMV up to 2030. According to the announcement in October 2023, Ryanair wants SAF to be 12.5% of its total fuel by 2030.

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The carrier has partnered with OMV to seal the deal.

Used cooking oil

Furthermore, OMV stated that it produces SAF by co-processing sustainable raw materials, namely used cooking oil, in Schwechat, Austria, adding that the alternative fuel reduces emissions by up to 80% over the entire life cycle.

Martijn van Koten, the Executive Vice President of Fuels and Feedstock at OMV, said that the Austrian company was growing its SAF production to support aviation’s goal of becoming more sustainable in October 2023. According to the executive, the partnership with Ryanair allows both companies to leverage their expertise in promoting the usage of SAF.

“This facilitates the transition towards the application of more sustainable forms of energy and helps reduce the climate impact of aviation.”

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Number one airline in Europe

Ryanair, which published its Q3 FY2024 results on January 29, said that the airline had been rated as the number one airline for environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) by Sustainalytics. The Irish airline stated that its aircraft, which have the latest technology and ever-increasing usage of SAF, “has positioned Ryanair as one of the EU’s most environmentally efficient major airlines.”

During the three-month financial period, Ryanair took delivery of 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft, which have 4% more seats and emit 16% fewer emissions, while also retrofitting its Boeing 737 NextGeneration (NG) fleet with winglets. It targets to have 409 aircraft with the retrofitted parts by 2026, reducing fuel burn on each aircraft by 1.5%.

Photo: Ryanair

However, Michael O’Leary, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ryanair, warned about upcoming delivery delays from Boeing, with the Irish executive noting that in combination with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine issues, Europe will have fewer seats in the upcoming peak travel season. As a result, passengers could expect slightly higher airfares for travelers in the continent, which was why O’Leary urged customers to book their flights early.

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