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• SAF blend aims to lower CFM56 acceptance testing CO₂ emissions by 3.8 tons

• Partners taking SAF engine-MRO initiative to next stage

Hannover, November 9, 2022 - MTU Maintenance, the world’s leading provider of maintenance solutions for aircraft engines, continues to lead the way in lower-carbon fuels (SAF) for acceptance testing services. MTU Maintenance recently tested an Aramco CFM56-7B engine at its cell in Hannover using an almost forty-percent SAF fuel blend. That’s unprecedented in the MRO world.

MTU is the first MRO provider in the world to offer acceptance testing using SAF. Until now, fuel blends used for this purpose had never surpassed ten percent SAF content. This recent round of testing has seen the partners approach the fifty percent permitted limit for the first time. MTU uses a fuel refined from high-oil-content residues and waste products. Throughout its life cycle, the blend emits eighty percent less CO₂ per gallon than kerosene. As a result, the partners were able to reduce the amount of CO₂ emitted during the acceptance test procedure by 3.8 metric tons.

“We have made SAF an essential component in our effort to cut emissions drastically. As the world’s leading provider of engine MRO services, we are setting the global standard. We couldn’t be more pleased that Aramco has agreed to partner with us to tackle that challenge,” explains Michael Schreyögg, MTU Aero Engines’ Chief Program Officer. “MTU is committed to meeting the Paris Agreement’s objectives. That’s why we’ve pledged to make our German operations net zero and why we are supporting our clients in their initiatives to combat climate change across the globe.”

Fahad M. Al Abdul Kareem, Vice President of Industrial Services at Aramco, said: “We are happy to have partnered with MTU in this test, which complements our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Aramco is based in Saudi Arabia and is a global integrated energy and chemicals company. It has been turning to MTU Maintenance for its CFM56 engine MRO needs since 2004, for technical services and cost-efficient MRO solutions, all customized to meet the exceptionally high demands of its fleet. The Aramco-MTU partnership included CF34-8E maintenance, before the engine was phased out.

MTU Maintenance is the world’s largest independent provider of engine maintenance services. Its portfolio includes over 30 engine types, and it has a global maintenance network. It is part of MTU Aero Engines, which has defined common sustainability goals for the entire Group. In order live up to its claim of being a sustainable industrial company, MTU places particular emphasis on responsible and environmentally friendly procurement as well as a safe and attractive working environment. The activities cover six different areas: product, production and maintenance, corporate management, employees, society, and purchasing behavior. In parallel with its initiatives to reduce the climate impact of on-site operations, MTU is working on revolutionary propulsion concepts with the aim of making aviation climate-neutral by 2050.