Hungary-based oil and gas company MOL Group has produced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The HVO biodiesel was made using cashew nut shell oil, co-processed alongside crude oil – a method already in use at MOL Group’s Danube Refinery to lower emissions by blending bio-based residues directly during production. Independent testing by Isotoptech Zrt confirmed the fuel met the required HVO ratio.
Slovnaft also tested SAF production by refining partially treated cooking oil with conventional raw materials. The results showed that the same unit used for standard jet fuel can be adapted for SAF.
“We are technologically ready to produce both biodiesel and SAF, opening new opportunities for lower-carbon fuels,” said Csaba Zsótér, Senior Vice President, Fuels at MOL Group.
Currently, only a handful of refineries worldwide produce SAF. With EU regulations requiring 2% of aviation fuel to be SAF from 2025, rising to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050.
Part of the EU’s Fit for 55 plan, the ReFuelEU policy aims to scale up SAF production and reduce reliance on fossil jet fuel. From 2030, fuel suppliers must start blending synthetic e-fuels, and airlines departing from EU airports will need to comply, gradually shifting towards lower-carbon aviation.
