France-based global energy conglomerate TotalEnergies has signed a joint development and cost-sharing agreement with Saudi government-owned petroleum producer Aramco and Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) to assess the development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in Saudi Arabia.

The move was announced this week during a visit to the country by French President Emmanuel Macron, which also celebrated the 50th anniversary of TotalEnergies’ operations in Saudi Arabia.

The three participating companies will use their expertise to establish a production unit that will create SAF from locally sourced residue feedstocks including animal fats and used cooking oil.

“We are delighted to [be] partnering with Aramco and SIRC to study the production of sustainable aviation fuels in the Kingdom,” stated TotalEnergies chair and CEO Patrick Pouyanné. “Saudi Arabia is emblematic of our multi-energy strategy aimed at supporting the energy transition of oil and gas producing countries.”

In 2014, TotalEnergies and Aramco entered into their first joint partnership: Saudi Aramco Total Refining And Petrochemical (SATORP), one of the world’s one of the most complex and efficient refining and petrochemical platforms, located in the industrial city of Jubail on the country's east coast. The two companies plan to begin the co-processing of used cooking oil there to produce SAF by 2026. The partnership will expand the following year, as Amiral—a new $11 billion petrochemical complex attached to the refinery—is expected to become operational.

“With demand for air travel forecast to grow, it’s becoming imperative to address aviation emissions through lower-carbon alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuels,” said Aramco president Amin Nasser. “We already have a well-established partnership with TotalEnergies, and this new collaboration demonstrates our intent to explore ways to leverage our combined strengths, in this case with a view to establishing a sustainable aviation fuels plant in the Kingdom with SIRC.”

Ziyad Al-Shiha, CEO of SIRC, noted that his company has a focus on increasing the conversion of the Kingdom’s wastes into renewable resources, in line with the Saudi 2030 roadmap and the country’s green initiative. “The new partnership with Aramco and TotalEnergies to assess the feasibility of a renewable aviation fuels plant signifies a major leap forward in our mission,” he said. “We also believe it will enrich and energize our efforts to lead the development of the kingdom’s circular economy.”