From October 2023, TotalEnergies Aviation is launching a pilot scheme for the distribution of a new unleaded aviation fuel at the Toussus-le-Noble (78) and Lognes (77) airfields: UL AERO SUPER +.
What is UL AERO SUPER +?
UL AERO SUPER + is a specific SP98 (road fuel) ethanol-free fuel dedicated to aviation use. It is certified stored, purged, filtered, transported and distributed in strict compliance with aviation product quality safety standards.
This fuel is designed to adapt to market demand: some modern light aircraft, which normally use Avgas 100LL, are now equipped with engines that are compatible with SP98 type petrol, complying with standard EN228 (Octane Number: RON>98 or MON>87).
For the moment, this fuel is only suitable for aircraft equipped with ROTAX 912/914 series engines and approved for use with SP98 EN228.
With UL AERO SUPER +, we are responding to our customers' need for this type of fuel, with an adapted price range.
Why not just distribute SP98?
SP 98 is not an aviation fuel, it is a road fuel. TotalEnergies is very committed to product safety and quality, and cannot offer this fuel for aviation use as is.
In order to meet our customers' requirements, we first worked on customs and regulatory issues, then on logistics and the fuel itself, to ensure that it complies with the rigorous quality and safety standards of aviation.
The benefits of UL AERO SUPER +
Thanks to the financial savings achieved through the purchase of this fuel, UL AERO SUPER + can encourage customers wishing to invest in fleet renewal to opt for aircraft equipped with ROTAX engines that consume less fuel and therefore emit less CO2, as well as being quieter.
This helps to make leisure aviation more acceptable to local residents. This is one of the reasons why we have had the support of the Préfecture des Yvelines throughout the process.
Our hopes for the future
If the tests at Toussus-le-Noble and Lognes are successful, and subject to the regulatory approvals needed to extend the project beyond these two pilot sites, we aim to deploy this new fuel at around twenty sites in France during 2024.
This new step shows the dynamism and commitment of our TotalEnergies Aviation teams to offer our customers products that meet their needs and thus highlights our capacity to innovate.
At the same time, our research and development teams are working hard to offer our customers a lead-free, high-octane AVGAS fuel made from renewable components, which could eventually replace AVGAS 100LL.