MOL Group has successfully produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and diesel fuel containing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava, Slovakia, confirming its readiness to produce alternative synthetic fuels.

Slovnaft has now become one of the few refineries in the world capable of producing SAF. This is significant as the European Union sets ambitious targets for SAF usage in aviation. Starting in 2025, SAF must account for 2% of total aviation fuel consumption, increasing gradually each year to 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, and 70% by 2050. MOL Group’s ongoing work in this area includes collaboration with the faculty of Aeronautics at the Technical University of Košic.

“We are technologically ready to produce biodiesel of vegetable origin as well as sustainable aviation fuel,” said MOL Group fuels senior v-p Csaba Zsótér. “This could open a new chapter in the sustainable efforts of MOL Group: we offer our customers an increasing variety and quantity of fuels, thus contributing to the smart energy transition as well.”

The HVO was produced using cashew nut shells, processed together with crude oil, and the quality of the product was verified through radioisotope analysis by Isotoptech, an independent laboratory. This process, known as co-processing, is already in use at the Danube Refinery in Százhalombatta and helps to reduce the emissions of traditional fuels.

In addition to the HVO, a second test at the Bratislava Refinery involved SAF derived from partially refined cooking oil combined with standard raw materials. This test confirmed that the refinery’s production unit, traditionally used for aviation kerosene, is also capable of producing SAF.