Norwegian and Moeve (currently Cepsa) have solidified their commitment to sustainable aviation by signing a significant supply contract for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This agreement marks a crucial step in decarbonizing air travel between Spain and the Nordic region, with Norwegian utilizing Moeve's SAF for flights from Las Palmas airport in Spain to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark throughout November and December 2024.

Moeve produces SAF at its La Rábida Energy Park in Huelva, Spain, using used cooking oils as a feedstock. This second-generation biofuel offers a remarkable reduction in CO2 emissions, up to 90% compared to traditional kerosene, across its entire lifecycle. Moeve already supplies SAF to major airports across Spain, and this partnership with Norwegian demonstrates the growing momentum for SAF adoption within the aviation industry.

To ensure a consistent and growing supply of SAF for its customers, Moeve, in partnership with other stakeholders, is constructing a new plant. This facility will boast a flexible production capacity of 0.5 million metric tons of SAF and renewable diesel. Upon its projected opening in 2026, it will form part of the largest second-generation biofuels complex in southern Europe.

"At Moeve, we firmly believe that SAF is the most viable immediate solution for achieving a more sustainable aviation sector," stated Álvaro Macarro, Moeve’s Director of Sustainable Aviation. "We are proud to be a consistent supplier of SAF at Spain’s key airports, and this contract with Norwegian is a significant step forward in reducing CO2 emissions industry-wide."

Anders Fagernæs, VP of Sustainability at Norwegian, emphasized the airline's commitment to decarbonization. “SAF plays a vital role in achieving our target of a 45 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030. Las Palmas, being one of our most popular destinations, is an ideal location to advance our work with SAF. We are eager to collaborate with Moeve and work together towards lowering emissions.”

This project underscores Moeve’s ambition to become a leading producer of 2G biofuels in Spain and Portugal. The company aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 2.5 million metric tons of biofuels by 2030, with 800,000 metric tons specifically dedicated to SAF. This volume of SAF would be sufficient to power 2,000 flights around the globe, highlighting the potential impact of Moeve’s production on global aviation sustainability.

The agreement between Moeve and Norwegian aligns perfectly with the European Commission's ‘Fit for 55’ package, which includes the ‘RefuelEU Aviation’ initiative. This legislation seeks to stimulate the supply and demand for aviation biofuels within the European Union, mandating a 2% SAF usage by 2025, increasing to 6% by 2030, and ultimately reaching 70% by 2050.