By Sergio Goncalves

LISBON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Air France-KLM AIRF.PA is exploring potential cooperation on sustainable aviation fuel with Portuguese partners ahead of the privatisation of Portugal's flag carrier TAP, a spokesperson for the airline said on Tuesday.

The Franco-Dutch group, Lufthansa LHAG.DE and British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L have already shown interest in TAP's privatisation, which the government wants to carry out this year.

The spokesperson said a delegation of Air France-KLM comprising the group's sustainability teams visited Lisbon in the last few days.

"They met various stakeholders to discuss potential cooperation opportunities in the field of sustainability and more specifically SAF, of which Air France-KLM is the world's number one buyer and user," the spokesperson added.

A source close to the matter said Air France-KLM had meetings with companies, analysts and entities linked to environmental sustainability.

A ranking by Brussels-based advocacy group Transport and Environment named Air France-KLM, United Airlines UAL.O and Norwegian as some of the airlines that have taken tangible steps to buy sustainable jet fuel, which will be crucial for the industry to meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Air France-KLM has said it incorporated 80,000 metric tons of SAF - made from renewable biomass or waste materials - into flight operations in 2023, doubling 2022 levels.

It represented a 1% incorporation rate of SAF in its total fuel usage and 16% of worldwide SAF production.

TAP has only made a residual use of this green fuel.

Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and IAG have already met with the Portuguese government and are waiting for it to begin formal talks on the sale of either a minority or majority stake in TAP.

The government wants to take advantage of its abundant renewable resources to give a boost to SAF projects.

Portugal's Galp Energia GALP.LS is building such an industrial-scale unit at its Sines refinery and plans to start producing biojet fuel in 2026.

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Rod Nickel)

((sergio.goncalves@thomsonreuters.com; +351213509204; Reuters Messaging: sergio.goncalves.reuters.com@reuters.net))