Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse, has signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to assess the viability of developing a commercial green H₂ to methanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project.

The focus of the project is to help decarbonize hard to abate, emission intensive sectors such as the aviation and maritime industries. The project will also capture and utilize CO₂ from an industrial source to be used as a feedstock, in addition to green H₂ from renewable energy powered electrolysis, for the production of green methanol and SAF.

The agreement follows a successful test flight conducted by the two companies during COP28 in December 2023 that demonstrated the potential for converting methanol to SAF. Aviation is a key focus for Masdar’s green H₂ business, and over the past three years the company has forged a number of strategic partnerships designed to support the development and growth of the SAF sector.

The UAE’s General Policy for SAF set a voluntary target of providing 1% of fuel supplied to national airlines at UAE airports using locally produced SAF by 2031 and seeks to develop a national regulatory framework for SAF by exploring potential policies to support the long-term economic operation of SAF facilities in the UAE.

The agreement aligns with Abu Dhabi’s Low Carbon H₂ Policy which is expected to significantly contribute to promoting low-carbon H₂ as a future energy source, constituting a significant milestone towards ensuring economic growth, sustainability and energy security and a strategic step towards a sustainable future.

The Low Carbon H₂ Policy complements the UAE National H₂ Strategy, which seeks to establish the UAE as a leading global producer of low-carbon H₂ by 2031.