ITOCHU Announces the Start of the First Commercial-scale Supply of CORSIA Eligible Fuel(CEF) at Narita International Airport
Helping to Solve the Aviation Fuel Shortage in Japan
September 19, 2024
ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and COO: Keita Ishii; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it will begin supplying SAF*1 (CORSIA Eligible Fuel, or "CEF") that complies with Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in collaboration with Neste OYJ (headquartered in Finland; President and CEO: Matti Lehmus; hereinafter "Neste") and GS Caltex (headquartered in South Korea; Co-Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chairman Executive Board: Hur Sae-Hong; hereinafter "GSC"). This continuous commercial-scale supply of CEF is rarity in the world, and ITOCHU aims to expand the spread of CEF in Japan through supply.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted long-term targets to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by aircraft by 2050. With these targets, emissions must be reduced or offset by 15% compared to 2019 levels by 2024 in a CORSIA-compliant manner. ITOCHU obtained ISCC CORSIA*2, a certification scheme requiring organizations to meet CORSIA requirements. ITOCHU will handle CEF logistics on a commercial scale through the supply chain, as shown in the chart below. This was possible through collaborating with Neste and GSC, two leading global energy suppliers that ITOCHU has built trust-based relationships with through many years of experience.
CEF Supply Chain (Chart)
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The aviation fuel shortage in Japan is becoming more serious, with rising demand for international flights as more international visitors come to Japan. One major reason for this shortage is the limited number of domestic vessels used for transporting aviation fuel from import tanks to airport facilities. The CEF will be imported by foreign vessels directly into aviation fuel tanks owned by Narita International Airport Corporation. In addition to decarbonizing aviation fuel, this will also create a supply chain to provide a stable supply of aviation fuel.
The CEF delivered to Narita Airport will be offered to ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD., Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., and other airlines. This supply will be maintained based on demand and may possibly be expanded to other airports.
As an effort to relieve concerns about the impact of aviation fuel shortages on operations, ITOCHU directly imp
orted jet fuel (fossil fuel-based) in July 2024 from GSC's South Korean refinery by foreign vessel to the aviation fuel receiving terminal owned by Narita International Airport Corporation. As this was also the first instance of direct import of aviation fuel at Narita Airport, more pre-inspections than normal were conducted to ensure the quality of the fuel. The approximately 5,000 kl of directly-imported fuel corresponds to around 300 flights (flights departing Japan and bound for destinations in Asia).
By promoting the use of renewable fuel*3 including SAF and supplying aviation fuel in cooperation with leading partner corporations, ITOCHU will continue to help solve two of the issues facing the aviation industry: the decarbonization of aviation fuel and the stable supply of fuel.
- *1With ICAO CORSIA, airlines must use CORSIA Eligible Fuel to offset their greenhouse gas emissions with SAF
- *2ISCC CORSIA is a certification scheme approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to certify sustainable aviation fuel meeting the requirements of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
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*3ITOCHU is promoting the use of SAF as well as renewable diesel (produced from waste cooking, animal, and vegetable oil, and other raw materials that cannot be sold as food products) and other renewable fuels
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【Photos】CEF delivery process
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