Gazprom Neft has released the first batch of Russian aviation fuel with a low carbon footprint, SAF fuel. The new product is designed to reduce the impact of air transport on the atmosphere. Specialists from Gazprom Neft's Technological Center for Industrial Innovation in St. Petersburg were engaged in the development of domestic SAF fuel. In the course of research and laboratory tests, an effective formulation based on jet fuel with the addition of a biocomponent was created. The composition of the new product complies with medium-term environmental standards for international air transportation.
Gazprom Neft's proprietary technology is based on the synthesis of esters from renewable organic raw materials under the influence of hydrogen. As a result, the company's specialists obtain bio-components from used deep fryer oil and animal fats that are comparable in performance to traditional jet fuel and have enhanced environmental characteristics.
The production of Russian SAF fuel is part of Gazprom Neft's comprehensive program to develop low-carbon transportation solutions. Starting in 2023, engineering solutions for processing fat and oil raw materials into new-generation motor fuel components were created and patented on the basis of the research center. Thanks to this, Gazprom Neft was the first in Russian shipping to start refueling marine vehicles with low-carbon biofuels.
Levan Kadagidze, Head of the Commercial Department of Gazprom Neft:
"The first batch of Russian aviation SAF fuel is the result of the effective work of the Gazprom Neft team of specialists. The professional competencies of our scientists, engineers and laboratory assistants, their many years of experience and commitment to the study of innovation have allowed us to create industry-unique solutions for the production of environmentally friendly marine fuels, and now biofuels for aircraft. The next step in the implementation of Russian SAF fuel will be laboratory and bench tests at the country's leading aviation institutes."
Mikhail Nikulin, Head of the Gazprom Neft Technology Center for Industrial Innovation:
"Work on the creation of a fully domestic SAF fuel was carried out at the Gazprom Neft scientific center, which combined research and analytical laboratories, facilities for modeling new technological processes, and pilot plants for testing technologies. The project involved highly qualified employees who are engaged in the development of unique solutions and products at the junction of oil refining and other industries and the economy."
The Association of Specialists and Enterprises in the Field of Oil and Fat Waste Processing (APMO) is a partner of the Gazprom Neft project for the production of low-carbon motor fuels and a supplier of bio-components. Within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2025, a bilateral agreement was signed on the development of a unified infrastructure in Russia for the collection and processing of plant raw materials and the formation of a resource base necessary for the industrial production of biofuels.
