VARO Energy invests in a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant in Rotterdam

Platform member VARO Energy will invest $600m in a SAF-plant in Rotterdam. Production of SAP will commence in Q4 of 2026. Last February, VARO signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with airline company Lufthansa to provide SAF from 2026 onwards.

The facility in rotterdam will have a total feedstock capacity of 350 kilotonne (kt) per year, with an annual SAF production capacity of 245 kt alongside a mixture of bio-naphtha and bio-propane. For the feedstocks base VARO Energies turns to advanced feedstocks such as waste, residue and 'new' oils. Also hydrogen will be needed in the process. VARO expects production to start by end of 2026. The ramping up of SAF-production is important for the aviation sector in order to be able to comply with the obliged European SAF mandates. The company is expecting that this facility alone will contribute up to 7% of the Europe's 2030 SAF target.

This announcement further shows how the Dutch biofuel/ biorefinery industry is growing and the Netherlands is becoming an important player in the production of renewable fuels in Europe.