Etlas, a new 50:50 joint venture from BP and Corteva will produce oil from crops for use in the production of biofuels like sustainable (or synthetic) aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD).

The new venture aims to produce one million metric tonnes of feedstock per year by the mid-2030s, which could produce over 800,000 tonnes of biofuel. Initial supply is scheduled to begin in 2027 for use in co-processing at refineries as well as at dedicated biofuels plants.

Industry estimates have global demand for SAF growing to as much as 10 million tonnes by 2030 from about one million tonnes in 2024, while global demand for RD could rise to as much as 35 million tonnes by 2030 from approximately 17 million tonnes in 2024.

The feedstock Etlas uses will be harvested from crops that are grown on existing cropland, between main food cropping seasons. Such intermediate crops can help improve soil health while providing farmers with a new revenue stream as they use existing cropland during times when it has previously been unproductive like a fallow or cover period, they also do not lead to additional demand for land.

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