Neste, a producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), has commenced SAF production at its renewable products refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Following recent upgrades, the facility is now capable of producing up to 500,000 tonnes of SAF annually, raising the company’s total global SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tonnes – equivalent to approximately 1.875 billion litres per year.
Heikki Malinen, President and CEO of Neste, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to tackling climate change and supporting the aviation sector in reducing its carbon footprint. “It is clear that we need to continue making progress in mitigating climate change and addressing aviation’s climate impact. Neste is fully committed to supporting its customers in the aviation industry to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and this milestone underlines that commitment,” he said.
Malinen also highlighted the importance of policy frameworks such as the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation in accelerating SAF uptake. “Policies like these are crucial to ramping-up SAF production and usage, and we need to keep our ambitions and targets high. At the same time, it requires support and close cooperation across the whole aviation ecosystem to accelerate the energy transition and related emission reductions,” he added.
Alongside the recent SAF production launch, Neste is pressing ahead with a major strategic expansion at the Rotterdam site. Once completed in 2027, the project will more than double the refinery’s capacity, enabling the production of 2.7 million tonnes of renewable products annually. This development will position the Rotterdam facility as the world’s largest site for renewable diesel and SAF production.
The expansion will also raise Neste’s total global renewable fuels capacity to 6.8 million tonnes per year, with SAF accounting for 2.2 million tonnes of this figure. In addition to its Rotterdam operations, Neste produces SAF at its refineries in Singapore and Porvoo, Finland.
