Cluj International Airport starts using SAF from OMV Petrom
Published by Oliver Kleinschmidt,
Assistant Editor
Hydrocarbon Engineering,
OMV Petrom, an integrated energy producer in south-eastern Europe, has supplied sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport, an important step towards reducing carbon emissions in air transport. Through this partnership, the Airport International Cluj and OMV Petrom reaffirm their commitment to supporting the energy transition and adopting sustainable solutions in the aviation sector.
Since January 2025, aircraft taking off from Cluj Airport, the second largest airport in Romania, have been fuelled with jet fuel blended with 2% SAF, thus reducing the environmental impact. Almost 1800 flights were operated in January and February using this fuel, fully covering the airport's takeoffs.
"We are proud to contribute to the introduction of sustainable aviation fuel at Cluj airport. SAF is produced from renewable raw materials such as waste oils and animal fats, transformed, with the help of innovative technologies, into fuels with properties similar to conventional kerosene. At OMV Petrom, we have started construction work on an investment of €750 million, so that, starting in 2028, we can also produce such fuels in Romania, at the Petrobrazi refinery. We believe in Romania's potential to become a regional hub for such fuels," said Radu Caprau, a member of the OMV Petrom management board responsible for Refining and Marketing activities.
"Together with our supplier OMV Petrom, we have managed to start the process by which aircraft operating flights at Cluj International Airport will be fuelled with sustainable aircraft fuels. It is another important objective that we have achieved in fulfilling our commitments to reduce carbon emissions and support less polluting air transport," added David Ciceo, General Manager, Cluj International Airport.
With almost 3.3 million passengers in 2024, Avram Iancu Airport in Cluj is the largest regional airport in Romania and the second largest airport in the country, after Otopeni. As part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, in addition to supplying sustainable aviation fuels, the airport has also purchased two electric aircraft de-icing/anti-icing trucks and an electric bus to transport passengers from the terminal to the planes.
How sustainable fuels are produced
SAFs are fuels produced by processing renewable raw materials, such as waste oils and animal fats. Using advanced refining processes these materials are transformed to have characteristics similar to kerosene. SAF can be used directly in existing infrastructure and aircraft. It has the potential to provide a life-cycle carbon reduction of up to 80% compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces. SAF will play a very important role in achieving the aviation industry’s carbon reduction goals.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation provides for the use of sustainable aviation fuels at airports in the EU in a proportion of at least 2% starting with 1 January 2025 and a gradual increase in the use of SAF up to 6% from 2030.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/13032025/cluj-international-airport-starts-using-saf-from-omv-petrom/
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