All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have inked a pact with Itochu and US firm Raven SR for the long-term procurement of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As a part of the agreement, Itochu, an investor in Raven, will procure and supply the fuel to the airlines.
Itochu took a stake in Raven in 2021. The Wyoming-based company produces fuel from methane gas generated by the fermentation of plant waste and municipal solid waste. It aims to produce the fuel in California in 2025 and expects to manufacture 200,000 tonnes a year in Europe and the US by 2034.
ANA and JAL also have procured sustainable aviation fuel through Itochu Neste.
ANA aims for at least 10% of its fuel to be sustainable in fiscal 2030, reaching 100% in fiscal 2050. The airline's other suppliers include LanzaJet, which plans to begin producing SAF from ethanol this year.
JAL plans to replace 1% of its fuel with sustainable alternatives in fiscal 2025 and 10% in fiscal 2030.
The deals are the airlines latest move to secure SAF supplies. Japan's government targets a level of 10% SAF usage by 2030, or about 1.3 million kilolitres.