As European airlines are implementing ReFuelEU mandates, aviation fuel procurement strategies are shifting from simple volume acquisition to rigorous Well-to-Tank (WTT) carbon intensity accounting. While industry attention has primarily focused on refinery and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production capacity, an airline’s delivered-fuel Carbon Intensity (CI) is also heavily influenced by how that fuel moves from refinery to the airport storage tank.
This applies to both conventional Jet A-1 and SAF. In the ReFuelEU era, low-carbon logistics is no longer just an operational necessity. It is a measurable part of the fuel’s pre-combustion carbon footprint and helps airlines protect the carbon abatement value they pay for when sourcing SAF and lower carbon aviation fuel solutions.
For conventional Jet A-1, the largest share of lifecycle emissions still occurs during aircraft combustion. However, when assessing the WTT footprint, the focus is different. The relevant emissions are those generated before the fuel reaches the aircraft, including production, processing, blending, storage and transport.
For SAF, this distinction becomes even more important.
Because SAF is procured specifically for its lower lifecycle carbon intensity, every logistics decision between the refinery, blending terminal, storage facility, and airport tank farm directly affects the final delivered carbon intensity. Long-haul diesel trucking, multiple storage locations, inefficient batch sizes, and emergency road deliveries can add an unnecessary carbon penalty to SAF.
In other words, a fuel may leave the refinery with strong carbon credentials, but inefficient logistics can dilute part of that benefit before the fuel reaches the airport.
Under the ReFuelEU Aviation Anti-Tankering rule, airlines are required to uplift the majority of their required fuel locally at EU airports. This means airlines cannot simply bypass regional supply chains affecting procurement decisions and Scope 3 reporting.
Pipeline systems remain the benchmark for efficient bulk fuel movement. However, many European regional airports remain disconnected from pipeline networks. Where pipelines do not reach, rail provides the most practical lower-carbon alternative for bulk aviation fuel delivery.
As illustrated in the freight emissions data, rail stands out as the cleanest surface transport mode, averaging a mixed-fleet 24 gCO2/tkm across European rail freight—outperforming inland waterways and road transport while providing higher bulk volume capacity, fewer delivery units, and better operational control.
Where fully electrified rail corridors are utilized, emissions drop to a fraction of this baseline under Europe's decarbonizing power grid mix—establishing rail as the transport mode best positioned to deliver lower WTT logistics emissions to markets and airports not served by pipeline infrastructure.
To capture these Well-to-Tank gains, aviation supply chain management must evolve beyond fragmented, road-reliant transport arrangements. As an aviation fuel supplier, BOP Energy SA serves as a practical industry proof-of-concept by demonstrating the value of managing the fuel chain from refinery to airport and Into-Plane under a single coordinated platform.
By pairing our dedicated rail fleet with strategic European storages, this model proves that displacing long-haul trucking and eliminating unnecessary handoffs preserves fuel specifications and operational reliability while delivering the lowest achievable carbon intensity.
To support aviation’s journey toward Net Zero 2050, BOP Energy works alongside industry stakeholders as an IATA Strategic Partner to advance integrated supply chain models.
Author: Leva Kauce
Aviation Department/ BOP Energy SA
*Find out more about BOP Energy SA's engagement in the IATA's Strategic Partnerships Program on the partners directory.
