Page 167 - CW E-Magazine (21-1-2025)

News from Abroad

GREENER AVIATION
SK Energy becomes first Korean refiner to export

SAF to Europe

SK Energy, a part of the South
Korean diversified conglomerate,
SK Group, has successfully exported
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to
Europe, marking a first for a Korean
refiner. This milestone comes just four
months after the company commenced
commercial production of SAF.

The co-processing method-based
SAF production line integrates
bio-feedstocks with traditional oil
production processes, allowing simul-
taneous production of petroleum and
low-carbon products. A dedicated 5-km
pipeline supplies bio-feedstocks con- establishing a production capacity of SK Energy has successfully closed the
tinuously into the oil product manu- approximately 100,000 tons per year for loop on a global value chain – from raw
facturing process, enabling continuous SAF and other low-carbon products. material acquisition to production and
SAF production. sales.
“Our extensive production system,
Since January 2025, European bolstered by the R&D expertise of SK Looking ahead, SK Energy plans to
Union (EU) countries have mandated that Innovation Institute of Environmental expand its domestic supply and continue
at least 2% of aviation fuel must consist Science and Technology, and the en- its growth in the global SAF market.
of SAF. Currently, Europe is the only gineering proficiency at SK Innova- Since the International Air Transport
global market with such a requirement. tion’s Ulsan Complex, was pivotal in Association (IATA) pledged to achieve
SK Energy has swiftly entered the mar- achieving this export milestone,” an net zero by 2050 plan in 2021, global
ket, and on January 5, it announced the SK Energy spokesperson stated. In SAF demand has grown steadily. The
export of first batch of SAF shipment to collaboration with its affiliate, SK On IATA aims to reduce the aviation indus-
Europe. The company said it has secured Trading International, which invested try’s CO emissions by 50% compared
2
a competitive advantage in exports by in a waste-based raw material company, to 2005 levels by 2050.
Exxon Mobil sues California attorney general

for defamation over plastic recycling claims

Exxon Mobil has filed a federal Baykeeper, Heal the Bay and the Surf- “another attempt from ExxonMobil
defamation lawsuit against California rider Foundation conspired to defame to deflect attention from its own
Attorney General Rob Bonta and seve- it with statements regarding the efficacy unlawful deception” and said Mr. Bonta
ral environmental groups, months after of its plastic recycling technology. looks forward to “vigorously litigating”
Mr. Bonta sued the oil and gas giant the case. In its lawsuit filed in
alleging that it deceived the public for It has sought unspecified damages September, Mr. Bonta’s office said
half a century by promising the plas- and retractions of “defamatory state- that less than 5% of plastic is recycled
tics it produced would be recycled. ments” from Bonta and the groups. into another plastic product in the US
The company said in its lawsuit that A spokesperson for the California even though the items are labelled as
Mr. Bonta, the Sierra Club, San Francisco Department of Justice called the lawsuit “recyclable.”

Chemical Weekly January 21, 2025 167

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