To meet the growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from airlines, DCC & Shell Aviation Denmark is establishing a large inventory of SAF. On September 10, 2023, a record quantity of SAF was shipped to a tank at the Oiltanking Copenhagen A/S terminal at Prøvestenen, Denmark marking a starting point for stable supplies to the players in the Danish aviation market.
By establishing the first large-scale SAF storage on Danish soil, DCC & Shell Aviation, a joint venture between DCC Holding Denmark and Shell’s global aviation fuel business, is taking another step to meet the growing demand for non-fossil aviation fuel.
Well in advance of January 1, 2025, when new EU requirements mandating airlines to fly with an increasing proportion of SAF are anticipated to enter into force, the Danish aviation industry is already moving ahead on its own initiative.
This has created a surge in interest and demand for SAF – something that is now paving the way for the establishment of a large, land-based SAF storage in Denmark.
For a couple of years, we have been considering establishing an actual Danish supply base for SAF on a large scale. From 2021, when we initiated the first cooperation with Sønderborg Airport for SAF supplies for the domestic route to Copenhagen, things have progressed rapidly. Since then, Billund Airport has joined and most recently Copenhagen Airport via the SAF agreement we have entered into with Air Greenland, said Sune Petersen, Head of Sustainability & Strategy at DCC & Shell Aviation Denmark.
Strategic infrastructure
Together with Oiltanking Copenhagen, part of Germany-headed independent and integrated energy company Mabanaft Group, which owns the terminal at Prøvestenen, another step is now being taken in the efforts to strengthen the infrastructure and supply of SAF to the Danish market.
Prøvestenen is a key part of the critical energy supply infrastructure in the region. Oiltanking Copenhagen’s terminal at Prøvestenen is connected by pipeline to the country’s largest airport.
From Oiltanking Copenhagen’s tanks at Prøvestenen, we are not only able to send SAF directly into the pipelines to Copenhagen Airport. We can also efficiently reach the other airports through our existing supply network. This will facilitate the availability of SAF for all parties as a step in the aviation sector’s transition to more sustainable forms of energy, said Sune Petersen.
According to Karl Henrik Dahl, Managing Director of Oiltanking Copenhagen, the terminal, and the port facilities at Prøvestenen, which are operated by Copenhagen Malmö Port, are fundamental for the air traffic to and from Copenhagen.
Establishing SAF storage directly connected to Copenhagen Airport is a good example of how Denmark already has a well-functioning infrastructure that also supports the aviation industry’s need for new types of fuel, said Karl Henrik Dahl.
Furthermore, thanks to the large capacity and connection to the entire energy infrastructure, Prøvestenen plays a key role in the transition away from fossil fuels that is already underway.
In a few years’ time, Denmark will need to be able to handle large quantities of different kinds of liquid fuels, such as for example PtX-based fuel. In this respect, our infrastructure at Prøvestenen provides a solid and scalable basis for us to guarantee stable energy supplies across the country, throughout the energy transition. By leveraging our capabilities here at Oiltanking Copenhagen, we are taking on the challenges of the energy transition together with our customers. And we will continue to innovate to be able to provide even more sustainable energy solutions throughout this transition, Karl Henrik Dahl explained.
Increasing SAF production and accessibility
According to Sune Petersen, recent investments in increasing access to SAF in Denmark show how gradually more SAF can best achieve the uptake that both the industry and politicians want.
有效地和实惠支持更多的支撑able aviation, we need to be able to handle SAF deliveries on a very large scale. This can best be done by utilizing the existing infrastructure. So, we need to move away from the idea of pouring ‘green’ fuel into every single aircraft on a given route. It’s about mass balance, where the airlines’ purchase of SAF is part of the overall fuel supply and gradually displaces fossil jet fuel. This applies regardless of whether it is SAF made from biowaste or PtX-based SAF, which can be produced in much larger quantities and even more sustainably with renewable power from wind turbines or solar energy and biogenic CO2, ended Sune Petersen.
