UK's Heathrow airport to supply renewable fuel ahead of G7 talks

St Ives, (Quantum Commodity Intelligence) – The UK's Heathrow airport is to offer renewable aviation fuel for the first time, as the country gears up to host G7 talks next week and the COP 26 climate summit later this year where both summits will focus upon climate change.

Finnish renewable fuel producer Neste will supply its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – a drop in fuel to replace jet fuel in aviation – to Vitol Aviation, who will then supply it to the world's fifth biggest airport.

The companies said in a joint statement that the SAF, which is based on vegetable oil and animal fat waste, can reduce life cycle emissions from flying by up to 80% versus normal jet kerosene.

"We are pleased that Vitol is enabling Neste's… SAF to be used at Heathrow, one of the leading global hub airports. We are also proud to play a role in lower-emission travel to the G7 conference, where sustainability will be one of the key topics," Jonathan Wood, vice president of Europe, Renewable Aviation at Neste said.

The fuel will be blended upstream of the airport, alhough the volume is tiny – equivalent to fuelling up to 10 short-haul flights.

The fuel is being "made available" ahead of G7 talks that get underway near the town of St Ives in Cornwall, western England – about 300 miles (480km) away from Heathrow.

Those talks will revolve around how major economies can scale up cuts of emissions of greenhouse gases.

The UK will host the COP 26 climate summit later this year, where a main feature will be a deepening of pledges to cut emissions made in Paris in 2015.