The planned unit, to be jointly owned by Sinopec and TotalEnergies, will have the capacity to produce 230,000 t/y of SAF, and will process local waste or residues from the circular economy, such as cooking oils and animal fats, the partners said.

Sinopec has developed its own SAF production technology, called SRJET. TotalEnergies, who claims to be already one of Europe's leading SAF producers, will contribute its experience and expertise in the technical, operational and distribution fields.

Yongsheng Ma, chairman of the Sinopec Group, said: “This milestone collaboration with TotalEnergies is in line with our strategy in the development of low carbon solutions for China and the world. Sinopec is committed to providing green and low-carbon energy solutions while improving quality and efficiency of its asset portfolio.”

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, added: “The development of sustainable aviation fuels is at the heart of our company's transition strategy, as we strive to meet the aviation industry's demand to reduce its carbon footprint. TotalEnergies has set itself a target of 1.5 million tons of annual SAF production by 2030.”