Hong Kong and China Gas to produce biofuel for jet planes as Cathay, global airlines aim to reduce carbon footprint

Hong Kong and China Gas will begin producing sustainable aviation fuel in small batches by the end of this year in a step towards meeting growing demand from airlines keen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Production will be done at its plant in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu province, and will initially yield 50,000 tonnes annually, according to a company spokeswoman. The alternative fuel will be developed from hydro-treated vegetable oil. “We are in the implementation stage and working on commercial arrangements with [prospective customers], so it may not be appropriate to disclose details at the moment,” she said. Cathay Pacific last week pledged to use SAFs for 10% of its total fuel consumption by 2030. Cathay has so far secured 1.1m tonnes of biofuel, equivalent to 2% of its annual fuel needs starting from 2024. The fuel will be extracted from household waste in the United States that would otherwise go to landfills.<br/>