WARSAW, POLAND — ORLEN announced on July 9, 2025, the commencement of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sales at three major Polish airports: Warsaw Chopin, Kraków, and Katowice. The SAF, produced from certified renewable and waste-derived feedstocks such as used cooking oils and various wastes, is blended with traditional jet fuel, ensuring full compatibility with existing aircraft engines and infrastructure for seamless integration.
This launch directly supports the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, requiring SAF to constitute at least 2% of jet fuel supplies at qualifying airports in 2025, escalating to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. For stakeholders, including airlines like LOT Polish Airlines and airport operators such as PPL S.A., it facilitates compliance without operational disruptions, potentially lowering Scope 3 emissions through verifiable lifecycle reductions. ORLEN’s initiative could catalyze broader Eastern European adoption, where SAF penetration lags Western markets, but it underscores persistent challenges: current reliance on foreign-sourced components due to delayed domestic production, logistical complexities in blending and distribution, and the need for sustained investment to meet escalating mandates.
“The inclusion of SAF in our aviation fuel portfolio marks another step in implementing our 2035 strategy. We are expanding our product portfolio while responding to the need to decarbonise operations on both the supply and demand side. SAF also meets the expectations of carriers and passengers seeking more sustainable travel options,” said Ireneusz Sitarski, Vice President of the ORLEN Management Board, Wholesale and Logistics.
Strategically, ORLEN is advancing an HVO facility at its Płock refinery to localize SAF production from used cooking oils, reducing import dependencies and enhancing supply chain resilience. Complementing this, the HySPARK project will introduce hydrogen refueling at Warsaw Chopin Airport for ground operations, integrating SAF with other low-carbon solutions. However, without specified volumes, the immediate impact remains targeted; broader scaling will depend on feedstock availability and policy incentives to offset premiums, estimated at 2-5 times conventional fuel costs. For investors and suppliers, this signals opportunities in waste-to-fuel value chains, but emphasizes the urgency of diversifying beyond HEFA pathways to advanced technologies for long-term viability.
Source: ORLEN Press Release, “ORLEN launches sales of new aviation fuel: SAF now available at Polish airports”, July 9, 2025.
