ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 10. KazMunayGas (KMG, the national oil and gas company) and SOVICO Group (a leading investment group in Vietnam) have discussed projects for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, KMG told Trend.
Discussions on this topic took place between the Chairman of the Board of KMG Askhat Khassenov and the Chairman of the Board of the Vietnamese company Nguyen Thanh Hung.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to create special groups between KazMunayGas and SOVICO Group for a more detailed study of the issues discussed.
In August last year, during the official visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Vietnam, a memorandum of understanding was signed between KMG and SOVICO. The document opened the door to cooperation in the fields of geological exploration, aviation fuel supplies, and other areas.
According to the concept of low-carbon development at Samruk-Kazyna (Sovereign Wealth Fund), the share of SAF consumption by the airline will gradually increase: 5 percent by 2040, 15 percent by 2050, and 25 percent by 2060.
In addition to this, KazMunayGas' three large oil refineries are ready to produce Jet A-1 aviation fuel, which will allow it to be blended with SAF in the future.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has a backup plan to speed up the transition to new fuel. Previously, Kazakh Air Astana Airlines and PetroChina International Kazakhstan (engaged in wholesale supplies of petroleum products) signed a Memorandum of Strategic Partnership. As part of the document, the parties intend to cooperate on the supply of jet fuel as well as work on creating infrastructure and transitioning to Jet A-1.