The Hungarian aviation company Wizz Air announced that they have invested 5 million pounds—approximately 2,1 billion forints—in Firefly, a company that manufactures sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). With the investment the airline expects to reduce its carbon footprint by 1.5 tonnes in the next 10 years, the company stated in a press release on Monday.
The agreement with Firefly allows Wizz Air to supply its bases functioning in the UK with SAF starting from 2028. According to the preliminary calculations, this would mean approximately 525,000 tonnes in the next 15 years. They emphasised that over the course of a year over 57 million tonnes of sewage sludge is produced in the United Kingdom. Experts predict that about 250,000 tonnes of biofuel can be created from the waste.
The goal of the airline is to reduce its carbon footprint by a further 25 per cent by the year 2030.
Wizz Air had its lowest-ever yearly carbon intensity in 2022, coming in at 55.2 grams per passenger/km, a 15 per cent year-on-year decrease. To do this, the airline has made significant fleet investments, bringing in new planes and retiring older ones in favour of the Airbus A321neo. With its cutting-edge technology and great environmental advantages, the Airbus A321neo aircraft can fly with up to 50 per cent SAF blend. Wizz Air is continually working on fuel saving efforts and enhancing its data analytics in addition to its ambitious fleet renewal program, the company stated.
James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, said: ‘We are thrilled to be establishing a partnership with Wizz Air. The investment will accelerate the commercialisation of our game-changing Firefly process, with the binding off-take agreement saving a staggering 1.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Firefly will facilitate a step change towards the future of air travel. The feedstock, sewage sludge, is available in vast quantities globally and with Firefly we can put it to a truly beneficial use, reducing the use of fossil fuels in the hardest to decarbonise areas.’
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