KLM welcomes the news that SkyNRG has secured financing for its SAF project in Delfzijl, officially kicking off the construction of the Netherlands’ first factory fully dedicated to producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This milestone brings large-scale SAF production in the Netherlands a step closer and marks a significant advance in accelerating aviation’s sustainability transition. Starting in 2028, the plant will produce 100,000 tons of alternative fuel per year.
KLM has been investing in cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient flight for years. As a co-founder and shareholder of SkyNRG, KLM has played an active role in the development of the SAF market and this project since its inception in 2009, with the Delfzijl facility announced in 2019. We were the first airline in the world to provide a long-term offtake guarantee, which was instrumental in securing the financing and construction of this plant.
Alongside fleet renewal, SAF is one of the most effective measures for substantially reducing our CO₂ emissions. And while SAF emits a similar amount of CO₂ during flight as conventional fuel, its overall lifecycle CO₂ impact, from production to combustion, is at least 65% lower than that of kerosene.
Marjan Rintel, CEO KLM
“We are proud of our partnership with SkyNRG, where, both as co-founder and investor, we have laid the foundation for the first dedicated SAF factory in the Netherlands. We are committed to purchasing 75,000 tons of SAF per year, which is roughly 2% of our total fuel consumption. With this factory, we are taking a concrete step towards accelerating SAF production in the Netherlands, reinforcing our leading international position in this field.
Securing the necessary permits and financing for the factory was a lengthy and challenging process. This highlights the need for an active government that invests and collaborates with the sector, so we can collectively achieve the national ambition of reaching 14% SAF blending by 2030.”
Maarten van Dijk, CEO SkyNRG
“KLM’s partnership has been at the core of this project. What we’re achieving here demonstrates that airlines and industry can jointly take responsibility for making aviation more sustainable. With the start of construction, we are proving that investments in SAF can be realized in Europe.”
This factory is an important step forward, but more is needed to rapidly scale up SAF production, making it more widely available and affordable. It is therefore encouraging that the new coalition agreement focuses on expanding alternative aviation fuels and stimulating SAF production in the Netherlands. KLM calls on the government to invest together in the acceleration and scaling up of SAF, for example, through a national SAF fund as recommended in the Wennink report ‘The Route to Future Prosperity.’ This project shows it’s possible, but it also underscores the need for more such initiatives to actually achieve the 14% blending target.
Market research conducted by Markteffect on behalf of KLM shows broad public support for an active role by the government: 87% of Dutch respondents believe that air travel tax revenue should be used to make flying cleaner. Only by working together can the government and industry truly accelerate aviation’s sustainability transition and ensure sufficient, affordable SAF is available for the entire sector.
