Cancún Airport to Build New Sustainable Fuel Plant

Cancún, Mexico — The federal government has scheduled the construction of a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending plant at the Cancún Airport to comply with international standards for the reduction of carbon emissions in aviation.

This initiative is established in the Institutional Program of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA) 2025-2030. According to the program, 63 percent of the country's total air passengers are concentrated in five main airports: the Mexico City International Airport, Cancún, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana.

Due to the high level of operations at the Cancún terminal, it is necessary to carry out an update to the modernization program for its fuel storage infrastructure.

The plan first contemplates putting a pilot blending and storage project into operation at the Mexico City fuel station, beginning with the importation of SAF for its blending and commercialization. Subsequently, it will construct the blending plant at the Cancún fuel station.

A sustainable aviation fuel blending plant is a facility where concentrated SAF, derived from renewable sources, is mixed with conventional kerosene to produce the final fuel used in aircraft. This process is crucial because most current aircraft engines cannot operate on pure SAF, so regulations allow for a blend of up to 50 percent SAF with traditional fuel.

With the adoption of SAF, Mexico will establish itself as a regional benchmark in sustainable aviation, strengthen technological and energy sovereignty, and allow for the fulfillment of commitments from the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7, "Affordable and Clean Energy," and 13, "Climate Action," as stated in the Institutional Program of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA) 2025-2030.

In addition, with the implementation of this blending plant in Cancún, continuity is given to the modernization of the Cancún Airport fuel station that began in 2021, when the hydrant network, risk mitigation systems, automation and control, as well as supply pipelines were improved.

It is added that another parallel objective is for Mexico to climb in the 2025 World Competitiveness Ranking of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), which places the country in 55th place out of a total of 69 economies worldwide. In relation to Latin American countries, Mexico remains below Colombia, which positioned itself in 54th place.