Airbus is to collaborate with two major airlines, European low-cost operator Wizz Air and full-service Taiwanese international carrier EVA Air, to help each prepare for the imminent introduction of sustainable aviation fuel. The airframer will partner with Wizz Air for SAF-powered trials of Airbus A321neo jets on two key routes, from Barcelona and Brussels Charleroi to the airline’s hub in Budapest, in readiness for the introduction next year of the SAF usage mandates at EU airports under the ReFuelEU plan. Airbus will also work with EVA Air for the next two years to explore multiple ways to help decarbonise the carrier’s flights while also preparing for the introduction of SAF. Their sustainability partnership was announced in Taipei during an event to mark the airline’s order for 33 new Airbus jets.

Like a growing number of carriers, Wizz Air has committed that SAF will comprise 10% of its total jet fuel use by 2030. Its test flights with Airbus, to occur before the end of this year, are designed to help operationally prepare the airline for the EU’s escalating blending mandates, which from next year will require at least 2% of total fuel uplift to be SAF.

Airbus will provide technical guidance and expertise to help maximise the efficient integration of SAF across Wizz Air’s operation while product for the trials will be supplied by Spanish refiner Cepsa and distributed to the departure airports by World Fuel Services, a division of Florida-based energy group World Kinect.

The airline will buy up to 34 metric tons of pure SAF, of which 16 metric tons will be uplifted through blends of up to 5% for the flights from Barcelona-El Prat Airport and 18 metric tons of neat SAF in a 10% blend will be provided at Brussels Charleroi.

The Wizz Air project will be conducted using the mass balancing method, through which SAF use is tracked across an airline’s network and its environmental benefits allocated to specific flights, regardless of where the fuel is physically used, enabling carriers to support SAF production and use globally.

“With this project,” said the airline, “Wizz Air is taking steps to incorporate SAF into its operations, on top of leveraging the fuel efficiency of the Airbus A321neo aircraft, testing the alignment with regulatory frameworks ahead of schedule and working to understand passengers’ awareness of SAF and surrounding policies.”

Yvonne Moynihan, the airline’s Corporate and ESG Officer, said the project demonstrated cross-industry collaboration to reduce aviation’s emissions intensity, while building broader awareness of measures to make air transport more sustainable.

“We are not only testing SAF operations but also gathering insights from our passengers on their awareness of levers to decarbonise aviation,” she said.

Results of the survey will be released publicly, not only to highlight passenger expectations but also to guide the aviation industry in enhancing sustainability efforts.

“Fuel-efficient aircraft and SAF will provide the majority of the emissions reductions our industry needs to make by 2050,” added Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ Chief Sustainability Officer, “which is why working together with partners like Wizz Air to efficiently integrate SAF across airline operations is such an important step.”

Marta Cencillo, Head of Sustainable Aviation for the SAF producer, Cepsa, welcomed the trial flights with WizzAir as “an immediate solution to help decarbonise flights” and “an important initiative to move towards effective emissions reduction ahead of the ReFuelEU mandate.”

The exercise was also a key step in the broader introduction of SAF, added Duncan Storey, World Fuel’s SVP supply and commercial development, EMEA.

“Aligning with the upcoming ReFuelEU aviation requirements is an important milestone in our efforts to expand the availability of sustainable fuels,” he said. “Since 2015, we been actively working to increase the availability of lower-carbon aviation fuels across the globe. Our SAF supply network in Europe includes multiple key locations such as the UK, Germany and France.”

Madrid-based Cepsa is changing its name to Moeve in a phased rollout beginning in November.

“I’m thrilled to announce that a great brand, Cepsa, which has been with us for over 90 years, is transforming and to tell the world that we’re becoming a different type of organisation, Moeve, in which the majority of profits will come from sustainable activities by the end of this decade,” said the company’s CEO, Maarten Wetselaar. “This well-known and collaborative company has rapidly accelerated its transformation over the past two years, reaching multiple milestones outlined in its 2030 Positive Motion strategy. Building on these achievements and those still to come, we are introducing a new brand that reflects our steadfast commitment to leading Europe’s energy transition, particularly in green hydrogen, second-generation biofuels and ultra-fast electric mobility.”

Across the world in Taipei, Taiwan, Airbus inked another sustainability partnership, this time a two-year collaboration with customer airline EVA Air, during an event to celebrate orders by the carrier for 18 long-haul Airbus A350-1000 twinjets and 15 narrowbody A321neo aircraft, which the companies estimate will reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by up to 25% compared to earlier model jets.

“The agreement lays the foundation for the two companies to explore over the next 24 months avenues for decarbonisation within EVA Air’s operations, prepare the ecosystem for sustainable aviation fuel adoption and ensure infrastructure readiness,” said the airline.

“These efforts will ensure that we can steadily move towards a net zero future,” added the carrier’s President, Clay Sun.

Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Christian Scherer said the planemaker was deepening its collaboration with EVA Air in line with a broader ambition to help decarbonise the aviation sector.

The two companies will study measures needed to prepare for the use of SAF to power commercial flights, as well as establishing procurement processes and managing certification of SAF. Airbus will also evaluate the potential contributions of multiple measures based on EVA’s current and future routes, and its operational practices.

Top image (Airbus): Airbus will partner with Wizz Air for SAF-powered trials of the airline’s A321neo jets

Bottom photo: EVA Air and Airbus mark decarbonisation agreement

Tony Harrington

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A slew of new sustainable aviation fuel initiatives have been announced in the US, including major supplies for United Airlines and JetBlue at their respective hubs in Chicago and New York, Airbus investing in emerging SAF producer LanzaJet and UK start-up Firefly Green Fuels partnering with US biosolids feedstock provider Synagro Technologies to produce low carbon fuel in North America. United will receive up to 1 million gallons (3,000 tonnes) of SAF during 2024 from Finland’s Neste, which has just commissioned a new terminal facility in Houston, Texas, while JetBlue will take at least 1 million gallons from World Fuel Services, potentially by the fourth quarter of this year. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, meanwhile, has joined a list of big-name investors in LanzaJet, which recently activated the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF facility, Freedom Pines Fuels in Georgia.

By signing for SAF from Neste’s newly-commissioned SAF terminal capacity at ONEOK’s Galena Park Terminal facility in Houston, Texas, United, the world’s third biggest airline, will become the first carrier to buy SAF to power regular commercial flights from Chicago O’Hare, the third busiest airport in the US.

The new capacity at ONEOK’s terminal provides Neste with storage capacity of up to 100,000 tons (around 33.5 million gallons) and is directly connected to the energy pipeline infrastructure in the eastern part of the US. The SAF is expected to be piped to Chicago from August, expanding the availability of Neste’s product to airlines operating from east of the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast.

The deal has been underpinned by the Illinois SAF Purchase Credit, introduced last year for every gallon of the fuel sold to or used by an airline in the state.

“This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together,” said United President Brett Hart, who praised the Illinois Legislature and State Governor JB Pritzker for introducing the incentives which powered the SAF deal at Chicago O’Hare. “While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth.”

Alexander Kueper, Neste’s VP, Renewable Aviation Business, said the deal expanded an existing partnership with United, which has already procured Neste SAF in San Francisco and at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. “We are excited to expand our partnership with United and see our SAF being used at one of the major airports in the US,” he said. “It underlines our commitment to supporting the US aviation industry in its efforts to decarbonise and shows the important role that policy supports like the federal SAF 40B credit and the Illinois SAF Purchase Credit play in accelerating SAF usage.”

JetBlue, too, is ramping up its SAF use, signing with US-based World Fuel Services to provide the first regular supply of blended SAF to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport, pumped in via existing infrastructure including the Colonial Pipeline, America’s largest pipeline system for refined fuel products.

Neat SAF produced by Diamond Green Diesel will be blended with conventional jet fuel by Valero Marketing and Supply Company, then delivered to World Fuel. The airline will acquire at least 1 million gallons of neat SAF, equivalent to 3.3 million gallons of blended fuel, potentially as early as the fourth quarter of this year. It will also have an option to procure up to 4 million gallons more (about 13.3 million gallons blended), though the timeline for the additional fuel was not disclosed.

“This newly available SAF in our hometown is a key signal of the growing engagement by major fuel producers and the potential of SAF to meaningfully address aviation’s carbon emissions,” said Sara Bogdan, the airline’s Managing Director of sustainability and environmental social governance. “By leveraging Valero’s globally recognised expertise in energy markets and logistics, and by utilising existing jet fuel distribution infrastructure, this new, large-scale supply of SAF is set to be a pivotal moment as the industry grows the use of SAF.”

Brad Hurwitz, World Fuel’s SVP, Supply and Trading, welcomed the JetBlue deal to bring SAF to JFK Airport, strengthening the energy company’s ambition to develop a consistent flow of the fuel to the US east coast.

“Today, as a result of state-level programmes incentivising the use of renewable fuels, the majority of domestically supplied blended SAF is delivered into west coast airports,” he said. “Engagement across public and private sectors is needed to expand the supply of SAF to more cities and grow the economies of scale.”

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has become the latest investor to support US-based SAF producer LanzaJet, strengthening that company’s plans to produce the fuel not only in America but in multiple other markets. To scale its alcohol-to-jet fuel technology, LanzaJet is involved in projects in 25 countries across five continents.

By participating in LanzaJet’s s latest growth equity funding round, Airbus joined a high-profile list of investors and funders including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Southwest Airlines, French airports company Groupe ADP, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, sustainable finance group Breakthrough Energy, Shell, Suncor Energy and Japan’s Mitsui & Co and MUFG Bank.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are one of the most important levers available to decarbonise aviation, but their production is still limited,” said Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus, echoing a consistent and increasing concern in the aviation sector. “Our partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates Airbus ’commitment to work with leading energy technology suppliers to explore innovative production pathways and scale SAF.

“This important partnership with LanzaJet underlines the importance of new technologies and cross-sector collaboration to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”

The renewable fuel company uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF, a process it says will reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuels.  

“LanzaJet intentionally developed a diverse portfolio of strategic investors consisting of leading global companies to ensure we have the ecosystem to scale the SAF industry,” said CEO Jimmy Samartzis. “This important investment from Airbus supports the growth of our company, enabling LanzaJet to scale the production and deployment of SAF to continue working towards meeting aviation’s decarbonisation goals and developing a more sustainable industry.”

LanzaJet is involved in developing a SAF production project – Project Speedbird – in the UK in partnership with British Airways and Nova Pangaea Technologies. In the reverse direction, UK-based start-up Firefly Green Fuels, whose technology converts sewage sludge into high performance fuels including SAF, has announced that Baltimore-headquartered Synagro will be the exclusive supplier of biosolid content in the American market.

Firefly uses as process called hydrothermal liquefaction to chemically transform biosolid waste into biocrude and biochar, the former upgraded to SAF and the remainder to other uses including fertiliser. It recently secured investment funding from a partnership of Boeing and sustainable investment group Clear Sky. 

“This is a perfect partnership with monumental implications,” said Synagro’s CEO, Bob Preston. “We’re pairing Synagro’s expertise in sustainable solutions for biosolids with Firefly’s SAF technology to evolve the circular economy.”  

James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, said there was a huge requirement for SAF in North America, the world’s biggest combined air transport market. “By working together, we can bring operations online quickly, creating new jobs and vast volumes of truly sustainable fuel.”

Photo: United will become the first carrier to power regular commercial flights from Chicago O’Hare with SAF

Tony Harrington

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Two new global investment funds focused on sustainable aviation – one backed by Airbus, the other by Boeing – have announced their first projects as concerns deepen across the air transport sector about a lack of capital to develop new fuels, infrastructure and technologies. Clear Sky has been launched by a team of aviation and finance executives to accelerate a range of projects that help cut aviation emissions. Clear Sky’s first commitment is a co-investment with Boeing in UK-based startup Firefly Green Fuels, which plans to convert sewage waste feedstock into SAF. A second consortium of seven prominent aviation and finance groups has established the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Financing Alliance (SAFFA), focused purely on speeding up production of SAF. Led by Airbus, SAFFA has invested in US-based Crysalis Biosciences, which has purchased a decommissioned ethanol plant in Illinois and converted it to produce low carbon intensity SAF and biochemicals.  

Clear Sky has been developed by six partners  – Krishnan Narayanan, a former partner and regional leader at PWC Strategy&, with broad experience in sustainability and new technologies; Simon Talling-Smith, a former CCO of Qatar Airways and EVP at British Airways, and a specialist in innovative technologies; Glenn Morgan, a former CTO of International Airlines Group (IAG) and founder of its Hangar 51 innovation programme; Robert Boyle, a former Chief Strategy Officer at IAG;  Kurt Stache, a former CMO of American Airlines; and Julia Sattel, a former president of travel technology group Amadeus and VP Strategic Marketing at Toshiba.

Its multi-strand investment strategy covers sustainable aviation fuel, carbon removal systems, alternative propulsion technologies, innovative ground operations and materials recycling.

“Our analysis showed sustainable aviation was highly underpenetrated when it came to capital, particularly alternative investment capital,” said Clear Sky founding partner Narayanan. “By various estimates, up to $5 trillion of capital will be required over the next three decades for aviation to get to net zero. So there’s clearly more capital required, but it needs to be invested in the right things in the right way by the right experts. And I think generalist funds generally struggle to do that. Hopefully by having a bunch of aviation experts act as a catalyst we can achieve both of those things.”

Together with Boeing, with which it has formed a broader partnership to invest in sustainable aviation and related sectors, Clear Sky announced during the recent Farnborough Airshow that it will support Firefly Green Fuels in transforming sewage waste feedstock through hydrothermal liquefaction, a process which uses heat and high pressure to convert waste into biocrude oil and biochar, a powdery product which can be used as fertiliser. The companies claim that SAF produced through this process could reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by over 90%.

“SAF offers the greatest opportunity to decarbonise aviation, and the industry’s collective challenge of bringing it to scale globally requires new sustainable pathways,” said Boeing’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Brian Moran. “Clear Sky combines many years of investment expertise with knowledge on aviation’s decarbonisation challenges. Firefly’s technology holds transformative potential as the SAF feedstock – sewage waste – is accessible in all regions of the globe.”

Firefly CEO James Hygate said his company was clearing the way to “cost competitive and globally available fuel” in a market where demand for SAF well outstrips supply. “With the support of Clear Sky and Boeing, we are propelling toward our goal of commercial production in the UK by 2029,” he said, “and rapid replication across the globe.”

Clear Sky’s Narayanan welcomed the partnership with Boeing – “undoubtedly a leader in advancing aviation’s decarbonisation journey” – and signalled more projects would be announced.

Coinciding with the Firefly deal, travel technology group Amadeus also signed a letter of intent to invest in the debut fund from Clear Sky. “The journey toward sustainability in the travel industry is one we must undertake together,” said Decius Valmorbida, President of Travel, Amadeus.  

Airbus is leading the new SAFFA investment fund with big-name partners Air France-KLM Group, Associated Energy Group, BNP Paribas, financial services and capital group Burnham Sterling, Mitsubishi HC Capital and Australia’s Qantas Group. The companies, which collectively have committed approximately $200 million, partnered with Burnham Sterling Asset Management to establish the alliance, which aims to accelerate SAF production and provide members with priority access to the fuel. 

SAFFA’s first investment is in technology company Crysalis Biosciences, which is focused on renewing US chemical production infrastructure with new fuel and chemical technologies. Crysalis recently acquired and upgraded the Monarch facility, a decommissioned ethanol plant in Sauget, Illinois, and has just secured environmental approvals to produce low carbon intensity SAF and biochemicals.

“Each partner brings experience and financial expertise to the fund with the ambition to accelerate the availability of SAF by investing mainly in technologically mature SAF-producing projects using, for instance, waste-based feedstocks,” said Airbus. “Investments will be diversified across various SAF production pathways and also by region.

“Each partner may then enter into priority contracts to secure SAF offtakes from the various projects SAFFA will invest in for its allocated volumes. SAFFA is focusing on SAF that is eligible for RefuelEU Aviation or CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) certification.” 

Photo: Krishnan Narayanan (Clear Sky), Brian Moran (Boeing) and James Hygate (Firefly) sign investment agreement

Tony Harrington

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Two emerging UK-based renewable fuel producers have announced plans to scale the development of eSAF, sustainable aviation fuel created by combining captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen through the power-to-liquid (PtL) pathway. OXCCU, a climate technology spinoff from Oxford University, will partner with another UK company, the infrastructure provider px Group, to develop a first-of-a-kind eSAF demonstration plant at the Saltend Chemicals Park in the Humber region, while Zero Petroleum has signed a MoU with Airbus to advance eSAF development to enable commercial-scale production of 100% drop-in synthetic jet fuel from 2026. The UK’s proposed SAF mandate includes a PtL obligation on fuel producers to supply 0.2% of total jet fuel demand from 2028, rising to 3.5% in 2040.

Key benefits of eSAF are the abundance of CO2 either captured from the atmosphere or direct from industrial plants, and the ability to recycle the toxic gases into energy products including SAF and renewable diesel fuel.

OXCCU develops catalysts and processes to transform carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into non-fossil fuels, chemicals and plastics. It plans to develop SAF by using an iron-based catalyst to combine captured CO2 and green hydrogen in a single step, instead, it says, of the traditional, more complex and more expensive two-step process involving Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) and Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

The company has demonstrated what it claims is the world’s first direct CO2 hydrogenation process, converting CO2 into SAF while creating minimal oxygenate byproducts, and will develop the first-of-a-kind demo plant at px Group’s Saltend Chemicals Park, with the fuel to be created from a combination of biogenic carbon dioxide and green hydrogen.

With a planned start date for operations of 2026, the fuel company’s initial daily production will be 160 kilograms (200 litres) of liquid fuel, most of which will be SAF, while px Group will provide the engineering design and construction of the Outside Battery Limits (OSBL) support facilities.

OXCCU’s renewable fuel plans have attracted significant support from climate-focused investors, with backers including Clean Energy Ventures, Aramco Ventures, United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, Braavos Capital, and Eni Next, the corporate venture division of Italy’s Eni energy company. 

“The strategic combination of OXCCU’s highly efficient novel catalyst and process with px Group’s world leading facilities creates the perfect environment for us to scale up,” said OXCCU’s CEO Andrew Symes. “This project will demonstrate CO2 and hydrogen directly converted into jet fuel-range hydrocarbons and the potential for much lower cost SAF.”

Geoff Holmes, px Group’s CEO, welcomed the new partnership and the development at his company’s Saltend facility. “We are passionate about cutting CO2 emissions and helping the UK to meet its sustainability ambitions,” he said. “This groundbreaking project with OXCCU further meets this commitment and demonstrates the confidence in Saltend as a pioneering centre for industrial decarbonisation projects.”    

The Zero Petroleum partnership with Airbus is designed to leverage both companies’ experience in order to progress the development of eSAF and expedite its certification as a recognised zero emission aviation fuel.

Zero is led by founder and CEO Paddy Lowe, a former engineer and executive of the Williams, Mercedes and McLaren Formula One motor racing teams.

The company recently opened Plant Zero.1 near Oxford, which it claims to be the world’s first fully-featured synthetic fuel plant. The facility contains equipment for all three separate processes used to create the fuel: direct air capture, electrolysis to create green hydrogen and Zero’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology, DirectFT. The company plans to build a commercial scale plant (Plant Zero.2) to start production of its eSAF in 2026.

Airbus is targeting 15% SAF in its global fuel mix by the end of this year and at least 30% by 2030 and has partnered in industry trials the assess the impact of SAF use on reducing CO2 and non-CO2 aircraft emissions.

“By combining Airbus’ legacy of innovation with Zero’s proven, high-performance eSAF solution, we are well positioned to advance on the industry’s net zero decarbonisation targets faster than today,” said Lowe.

Zero added that both companies had made significant contributions to decarbonising air transport, with the fuel company securing in 2021 the Guinness Book of Records title of ‘first aircraft powered by synthetic fuel’, and Airbus having successfully tested commercial and military aircraft with 100% SAF.

“The fuel’s energy density and ability to power existing engines without modification make it an ideal solution for aviation, which faces distinct challenges as a hard-to-abate sector,” said the company. “Zero’s agreement with Airbus could lead to a new technology pathway being certified for the everyday use of eSAF in aviation.”

Top photo: OXCCU’s first demo plant will be located at px Group’s Saltend Chemicals Park in north-east England

Bottom photo: Airbus CSO Julie Kitcher and Zero Petroleum CEO Paddy Lowe with their teams

Tony Harrington

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The results of a European study into the impact of a widebody jet flown with 100% sustainable aviation fuel show a substantial 56% reduction in the number of contrail ice crystals produced by unblended SAF compared to Jet A-1 fuel. The project, involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and SAF producer Neste, was the third stage of the Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF) programme, with in-flight and ground emissions tests taking place in 2021. They worked together to quantify the reduction in engine soot particles produced by a Rolls-Royce powered Airbus A350 fuelled by Neste and trailed by a DLR research aircraft. In certain weather conditions, airborne vapour freezes around soot particles emitted by aircraft engines, creating cloudy canopies of ice crystals which can trap heat in the atmosphere.

Prior to the A350 test flights using 100% SAF – a campaign designated as ECLIF3 – airborne research was conducted in 2015 (ECLIF1) to characterise the emissions of synthetic fuels, followed in 2018 by flight tests with NASA (ECLIF2) to demonstrate that 50/50 blends of conventional jet fuel and SAF could reduce the climate damage caused by aircraft condensation trails.  

The ECLIF3 tests were conducted over the Mediterranean and southern France using the first Airbus A350 aircraft built by the airframer and powered by two Rolls-Royce XWB-84 engines. Conventional Jet A-1 was used as the reference fuel, while the comparative SAF was a mix of hydro-processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK).

In all conventional jet fuels, naturally-occurring aromatics serve as a vital sealant within the aircraft engine to help prevent fuel leaks. But this compound is slow-burning and emits soot particles which contribute to contrail crystals that can remain for several hours in cold, humid conditions at altitudes of eight to 12 kilometres, and can have a local warming or cooling impact depending on the position of the sun and underlying surface, with a warming effect predominating globally. Many types of SAF are free of aromatic compounds.

During the ECLIF3 programme, which involved multiple flights, the A350 testbed departed Toulouse Blagnac airport in France while DLR’s research jet, a Falcon 20-E, flew from the agency’s base in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, meeting at multiple points over the Mediterranean and southern France. The research aircraft was equipped with instruments to assess exhaust gases, volatile and non-volatile aerosol particles, and contrail ice particles produced by the A350, which it followed at various distances to capture data on emissions and condensation trails produced by both conventional Jet A-1 and Neste’s SAF.  

DLR used global climate model simulations to estimate how contrails could change the energy balance in the earth’s atmosphere, an effect known as radiative forcing. The tests revealed a 26% reduction in the overall climate impact of contrails when 100% SAF was used.

“The results from the ECLIF3 flight experiments show how the use of 100% SAF can help us to significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of contrails, in addition to lowering the carbon footprint of flying – a clear sign of the effectiveness of SAF towards climate-compatible aviation,” explained Markus Fischer, DLR Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics.

“We already knew that sustainable aviation fuels could reduce the carbon footprint of aviation,” added Mark Bentall, head of Research and Technology Programme, Airbus. “Thanks to the ECLIF studies, we now know that SAF can also reduce soot emissions and ice particulate formation that we see as contrails. This is a very encouraging result, based on science, which shows just how crucial sustainable aviation fuels are for decarbonising air transport.”

Alexander Kueper, Neste’s VP, Renewable Aviation Business, said SAF was recognised widely as a crucial means of mitigating the climate impacts of aviation. “The results from the ECLIF3 study confirm a significantly lower climate impact when using 100% SAF due to the lack of aromatics in Neste’s SAF used, and provide additional scientific data to support the use of SAF at higher concentrations than the currently approved 50%.”

And Rolls-Royce’s Director of Research and Technology, Alan Newby, said the use of SAF at higher blend ratios would be a key factor in enabling aviation to achieve its target of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. “Not only did these tests show that our Trent XWB-84 engine can run on 100% SAF,” he said. “The results also show how additional value can be unlocked from SAF through reducing non-CO2 climate effects as well.”

The ECLIF3 research team says its programme is “the first in-situ evidence of the climate impact mitigation potential of using pure, 100% SAF on a commercial aircraft,” and has reported the findings of its tests in the Copernicus journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) as part of a peer-reviewed scientific process. The ECLIF3 programme also includes members of the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester.

Last year, Boeing, NASA and United Airlines conducted contrail research in the US using a Boeing 737 MAX twinjet with one engine powered by 100% SAF and the other by conventional jet fuel, and Virgin Atlantic partnered with Rolls Royce, Boeing, Air BP and Virent to perform a trans-Atlantic crossing using a Boeing 787 powered purely by SAF, with a blend of 88% recycled waste fats and oils and 12% sustainable aromatic kerosene. UK-based technology group SATAVIA also worked with 12 airlines over 65 flights to test its DECISIONX route optimisation software, which uses atmospheric modelling data to assist carriers in planning flight paths which avoid conditions in which contrails can form. The company said its tests avoided more than 2,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or an average of more than 40 tonnes per flight, with little impact on aircraft fuel burn or flight distances.

Photo (S. Ramadier): Airbus A350 fuelled with 100% Neste SAF trailed by DLR’s Falcon 20-E research jet

Tony Harrington

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The International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG), a non-profit organisation of global aerospace companies created to collaborate on and share environmental solutions for the industry, has announced the formation of a working group to evaluate technical issues regarding the compatibility of 100% sustainable aviation fuel with airplane systems. With Boeing as lead and Airbus as deputy lead, the IAEG Work Group 13 (WG 13) will also include team members from Dassault Aviation, GE Aerospace, RTX’s Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and Safran, among others. They will coordinate 100% SAF testing efforts with the test results helping the Work Group inform fuel standards body ASTM International as it develops new specifications for 100% SAF. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has shared headline results from its 100% SAF transatlantic flight last November.

IAEG said its WG13 team will also engage stakeholders, including fuel producers, airports and airlines, to understand what steps may be required to support the transition to SAF.

“This collaboration will help prepare the broader aviation ecosystem for 100% SAF capabilities, as part of the aviation goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050,” said Ryan Faucett, Boeing’s VP Environmental Sustainability and IAEG Board Member. “We will share our findings from our SAF compatibility and ground-breaking jet reference fluids research and continue to collaborate with this Work Group to support a more sustainable aviation future.”

IAEG said the Work Group would support “consistent communication” with external stakeholders and educate infrastructure partners and suppliers on what will be needed to ensure operational readiness for 100% SAF.

Added Dr Bruno Costes, Airbus Senior Director of Institutional Relations and Standardisation, and IAEG Chair: “Airbus will bring its knowledge and experience from years of 100% SAF demonstration flights, coupled with our technical expertise in developing new fuel standards.”

Formed in 2011, IAEG has 59 member companies representing 70% of the global aerospace and defence industry. As well as WG 13’s efforts on 100% SAF compatibility, Work Group 3 is focusing on GHG emission reporting guidance.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has released headline results from its Flight100 transatlantic flight last November, the first commercial aircraft flight to cross the Atlantic using 100% SAF. The flight, following a year’s collaborative effort involving Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and RMI, did not require any engine, airframe or fuel infrastructure changes.

A full lifecycle analysis showed a saving of 95 tonnes of CO2, or 64% of the emissions produced from a standard flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK. Beyond the carbon reductions, the flight produced 40% fewer non-CO2 particulate emissions, so suggesting SAF could have a material impact on improving local air quality at airports and reducing the formation of persistent contrails. Interestingly, the Flight100 SAF produced 1% more energy compared to the same mass of fossil fuel, with the increased efficiency leading to a reduction of the fuel used in flight, with the implication of further environmental benefits.

Following the release of the headline results, the consortium will meet for a “technical deep dive” in early June. “This is a further step to ensure open-source information sharing – a fundamental element of the project,” said Virgin Atlantic.

Photo: The Virgin Atlantic 100% SAF transatlantic flight

Christopher Surgenor

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The transition of Asia-Pacific markets to sustainable aviation fuel has just been boosted in five nations, with fresh developments in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. The Australian government, in its 2024 budget, has announced plans to fast-track support for a low-carbon liquid fuel sector, with a specific initial focus on SAF, while Singapore Airlines and its low-cost sibling Scoot have announced their first purchase of the fuel at Changi International Airport from the newly activated Neste Singapore refinery, currently the world’s largest single SAF production plant.  Two major collaborations have also been announced between Japanese and Malaysian partners, in which SAF produced in Malaysia will be supplied to Japan, to help meet that country’s 2030 mandate of 10% SAF usage. Another regional collaboration will see used cooking oil sourced from another Japanese company used to help produce SAF at a new refinery due to open in Thailand in the first half of 2025.

Following strong lobbying from the aviation and energy sectors, the Australian government has committed to supporting the production of low-carbon liquid fuels, including SAF, in the Net Zero strategy of the nation’s Future Made in Australia Plan.

Over the next decade, the government will invest A$1.7 billion ($1.14bn) to support the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in commercialising net zero innovations including low-carbon fuels. 

Additionally, over four years starting in 2024-25, the government will commit A$18.5 million ($12.4m) to develop a certification scheme for low-carbon fuels including SAF and renewable diesel by expanding the national Guarantee of Origin scheme, which is already being developed to track and verify emissions linked to the production in Australia of hydrogen and renewable electricity.

A further A$1.5 million ($1m) will be spent over two years to investigate costs and benefits of introducing mandates or other demand-side measures to drive up the use of low carbon liquid fuels. The government will also undertake a “targeted” consultation on production incentives to support local production of new fuels. 

“Two years ago in Australia, SAF was an acronym with barely a skerrick of interest,” said Andrew Parker, Chief Sustainability Officer of the Qantas Group, one of the strongest advocates of developing a local SAF sector and mandates to drive up demand.

“The commencement of this funding and related policy measures are significant first steps on our path to decarbonise aviation here,” said Parker. “A progressive universal SAF mandate remains the most essential policy lever we have to secure capital and technology and ensure consistency and maintain competitiveness with our major trading partners.”   

Airbus, another strong advocate of and investor in Australian SAF, welcomed the government’s initiatives. “They will help move SAF from plans today into planes tomorrow,” said Stephen Forshaw, the airframer’s chief representative in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. “The world is moving to scale up production of SAF with supply-side support by governments helping to derisk early projects. Australia’s announcements recognise this.”

At Singapore’s Changi International Airport, the first SAF produced locally by global refiner Neste will be supplied to SIA Group‘s two carriers, Singapore Airlines and its low-cost sibling Scoot.

The carriers’ parent company, Singapore Airlines Group, has agreed to buy 1,000 tonnes of neat SAF, which Neste will then blend and transfer into the airport’s fuel system, one batch in the second quarter of 2024, the other in the fourth. The SAF will be produced from recycled waste and residue raw materials.

“This supply of locally produced SAF to Changi Airport is a milestone in our journey of supporting the aviation industry and governments in the region to achieve their emissions reduction goals,” said Alexander Kueper, Neste’s VP, Renewable Aviation. “We are looking forward to expanding our cooperation with Singapore Airlines as well as supplying visiting carriers at Changi Airport.”

The airline’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Lee Wen Fen, said the deal was an important step towards a target of including 5% SAF in its total 2030 fuel use. As well, from this month, SIA will offer 1,000 SAF book-and-claim units (BCUs) for purchase by corporate travellers, shippers and freight forwarders to help compensate for their flight emissions. Each BCU will equate to 1 tonne of neat SAF and its associated carbon dioxide reduction benefit.

Three Japanese corporations have also entered new SAF deals, with two in Malaysia and one in Thailand.

Tokyo-based biotechnology company Euglena, which produces renewable fuels from used cooking oils and microalgae, has formed a new partnership with Malaysia’s national oil company Petronas to build and operate a commercial biofuels production plant in Malaysia. Euglena has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan Airport Terminal (JAT), which operates Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, to jointly develop a SAF supply chain to the airport, with the two also looking to commercialising and providing the fuel to airlines.

If the Japanese government’s mandate of 10% SAF usage by 2030 was applied to Haneda Airport’s total jet fuel consumption in 2022, the companies estimate the airport would require 220 million litres of SAF per year. Eugena and JAT claim they would be able to supply 50 million litres of SAF per year, or 23% of the total required.

Marubeni Corporation, another major Japanese industrialist, has just announced an MoU with InvestSarawak, a government agency in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, to study the feasibility of producing SAF from biomass resources in the region. No details of fuel volumes or production timeframes were disclosed.

Meanwhile, a third Japanese company, Sumitomo Corporation, has agreed to provide used cooking oil to Thailand’s Bangchak Group, which is developing a new SAF plant with capacity to produce 1 million litres of fuel per day, commencing in the second quarter of 2025. The UCO will supplement supplies collected by Bangchak through its 162 service stations in Thailand. In a separate deal, Sumitomo and Japan’s Cosmo Oil will buy SAF produced by Bangchak.

Photo: Neste’s Singapore refinery

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

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US sustainable aviation fuel production startup DG Fuels has selected Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology co-developed by Johnson Matthey and energy giant bp for its proposed $4 billion SAF plant near the Mississippi River in Louisiana. Subject to approval being received this year, the St. James Parish facility could be in operation by 2028 and would be the largest announced FT SAF production operation in the world, says DG Fuels, with a planned capacity of 13,000 barrels per day, or around 120-135 million gallons of SAF annually. The FT CANS technology is feedstock agnostic although the facility will use plant waste, primarily sugar cane bagasse. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has acquired SAFFiRE Renewables, which is utilising technology developed at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to convert corn stover, a widely available agricultural residue feedstock in the US, into renewable ethanol. SAFFiRE is now expected to proceed with developing a pilot plant in Kansas to produce ethanol for conversion into SAF by LanzaJet.

Commenting on its collaboration with Johnson Matthey and bp, DG Fuels’ CEO Michael Darcy said: “Using their co-developed FT CANS technology allows DG Fuels to scale SAF at high volume production and competitive prices for the first time ever. This innovation will take our SAF from the sugar cane fields of Louisiana to cleaner skies all across the world.”

DG Fuels has already secured offtake purchase deals with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, and has a strategic partnership with Airbus to scale up the use of SAF globally. Last November, Air France announced it was investing $4.7 million in the company and the Air France-KLM group acquired an option to purchase up to 25 million gallons (75,000 tons) of SAF annually over a multi-year period beginning in 2029 from the Louisiana plant and a second facility planned in Maine. This is on top of a 2022 offtake agreement by the group for 600,000 tons of SAF from DG Fuels, to be delivered over ten years.

For its first project, the company has earmarked a 3,000-acre (1,200ha) site on the West Bank of St. James Parish for potential development of the near $4bn facility. It says the project is anticipated to create 650 direct permanent jobs, with preference given to local residents and promises to address local needs while protecting the environment and promoting economic prosperity in the area.

To help secure local support for the project, DG Fuels says it has engaged with community members and local government officials to draft a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement that would provide $26 million in funding towards a community centre, a health clinic, paid internships and other benefits. The CBA received support from the St. James Parish Council in February.

The company expects to purchase $120 million of sugar cane waste from local farmers, with nearly one third of this directly benefiting farmers in St. James Parish. This provides an environmentally-friendly and financially attractive alternative to practices where farmers burn the sugar cane trash after harvesting, it adds.

“Our clean facility will have fewer air emissions than a standard US hospital, will have no impact on the Mississippi River and will help to heal our planet,” says the company. “Our fuel made from sugar cane and plant waste is clean, sustainable and created with renewable energy.”

The FT CANS technology converts synthesis gas created in the DG Fuels’ proprietary production process to synthetic crude for further processing into SAF. FT CANS is being used by Fulcrum BioEnergy to convert municipal solid waste into SAF at its Sierra plant.

“Our FT CANS technology solution brings together decades of science and engineering expertise from bp and Johnson Matthey, and this project shows its competitiveness across a range of production scales and feedstock sources the industry needs,” said Noemie Turner, VP Technology Development & Commercialisation at bp. “We’re excited to see the relationship with DG Fuels grow, and we look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.”

Added Christopher Chaput, President of DG Fuels: “With this technology, we will create a product that is responsibly made and can be immediately substituted for conventional aviation fuel with no engine adaptations. This partnership is a significant boost to help the aviation industry reach its climate goals.”

SAFFiRE acquisition

Southwest Airlines first invested in SAFFiRE Renewables during the first phase of the ethanol producer’s pilot project in 2022 and through its newly-launched Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures (SARV) subsidiary, the airline has now moved to acquire the company. As a result, SAFFiRE is expected to proceed with phase two by developing a pilot plant hosted at Conestoga’s Arkalon Energy ethanol facility in Liberal, Kansas.

“This acquisition marks Southwest’s transition from investor to sole owner of SAFFiRE, expressing our confidence in their technology and its potential to advance our sustainability goals, as well as the goals of the broader industry,” commented the airline’s CEO, Bob Jordan.

SAFFiRE is part of a project supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and produce scalable renewable ethanol. The Kansas plant will utilise SAFFiRE’s exclusive technology licence from NREL to process 10 tons of corn stover per day into ethanol, with a plan for the ethanol to be converted into SAF by LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, which partly owes its development to the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Lab. LanzaJet was added to the SARV portfolio in February when the airline announced a $30 million investment in the ATJ company.

Another agricultural residue, corn stover is the stalks, leaves and husks of corn plants that is largely left to decompose in the fields after the corn harvest each year. SAFFiRE plans for corn stover to be collected by custom harvesters or by local farmers and processed through a proprietary Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMR) technology developed by NREL, called DMR pretreatment.

“Renewable ethanol is an important feedstock to realising high-volume, affordable SAF, which is a critical part of the journey to net zero emissions,” said Tom Nealon, President of SARV and CEO of SAFFiRE. “We are enthusiastic about the ethanol-to-SAF pathway and SAFFiRE’s potential ability to produce renewable ethanol at a scale that is economically viable.”

Image: Render of the proposed DG Fuels SAF facility on the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana

Christopher Surgenor

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With UK elections due to take place this year, industry coalition Sustainable Aviation has launched a manifesto that calls on the next government to accelerate policy action on the transition to net zero aviation. Specifically, it sets out how the incoming government can ensure the UK is world-leading in sustainable aviation through becoming an early mover on SAF production and supply, strengthening aerospace technology innovation and accelerating airspace modernisation. The industry group represents airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation service providers and fuel producers. The government has just announced £200 million ($250m) in joint public/industry investment for energy efficient aircraft while the UK CAA has selected three companies for the government funded Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox. Elsewhere, SAF startup Avioxx has raised new investment towards developing a UK SAF production plant.

Top of the industry’s wish list for the new government is action to deliver commercial UK SAF production at scale this decade with at least five UK SAF plants under construction in 2025. Sustainable Aviation’s roadmap for the UK aviation sector to reach net zero by 2050 shows that of all the mitigation measures available, SAF will have by far the largest influence on achieving the goal, accounting for 39% of 2050 total unabated emissions.

The cross-sector group calls for an accelerated timetable to deliver a government-backed SAF revenue support mechanism through the introduction of primary legislation in the early months of the new parliament. This would be a catalyst to establish a pipeline of investment for SAF production of second-generation advanced SAF ahead of power-to-liquid SAF in the medium to long term, it says. To ensure aviation has a fair share of sustainable feedstocks for second-generation SAF, regulations should be amended to ensure SAF is prioritised as an energy recovery pathway for waste, it recommends.

The industry manifesto also calls for government support for long-term R&D on aerospace innovation to provide the UK with a competitive advantage in aviation efficiency and the commercialisation of new technologies, including hydrogen. In order to meet the net zero by 2050 objective, capacity should be secured to meet the required renewable energy to produce renewable fuels for the industry. The roll-out of carbon removal and carbon capture and storage technology should also be accelerated to mitigate residual aviation carbon emissions by including carbon removals in the UK ETS scheme “and ensuring aviation’s fair share”.

Commented Matt Gorman, Chair of Sustainable Aviation and Heathrow Airport’s Sustainability Director: “Our transition to net zero flight will not only safeguard and grow aviation’s contribution to the UK economy but also create thousands of new jobs. By leveraging our existing strengths as an aviation nation, we can lead the world in green aviation technology.”

The manifesto was launched at an event in Parliament attended by Aviation Minister Anthony Browne and the opposition Labour Party’s Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation, Sarah Jones.

The final details of the UK SAF mandate legislation, due to be in force during 2025, are expected to be published by the government very soon.

This month, the UK government announced almost £200 million of joint government and industry funding for aerospace R&D projects to support the development of energy efficient and zero-carbon aircraft technology towards the transition to net zero. This includes £40 million for a project by Marshall Group to develop zero-carbon engine technology and £96 million investment in Airbus-led projects developing more efficient wing designs.

Funding for these projects will be delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). It was also confirmed that the £975 million in aerospace funding over the five years from 2025, announced late last year, will be allocated to the ATI programme. The programme has facilitated over £3.6 billion of joint government and industry R&D investment to date.

Meanwhile, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has selected Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Exeter Airport Consortium and ZeroAvia for its Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox, an initiative to increase industry and regulatory readiness for the introduction of hydrogen fuel and new technologies. The challenge was launched in November with grant-based funding of £940,000 from the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, which is overseen by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and runs for an initial period until February 2025.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is developing a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain to be applied to aircraft and aims to conduct ground testing and flight trials this year. The CAA will work with the company on identifying hazards, risks and safety challenges associated with its project.

ZeroAvia, which is also developing hydrogen-electric engines and already flying a prototype system in a Dornier 228 testbed under a UK CAA Permit to Fly, will work with the regulator to identify hazards, risks and safety challenges associated with the retrofitting of a hydrogen-electric powertrain.

A study by Regional & City Airports, TUI, hydrogen technology developer ULEMCo and Cranfield University is looking at reducing the environmental impact of aircraft turnarounds at Exeter Airport. Through the challenge, Consortium members and the regulatory authority will review and provide feedback on safety cases, test plans and risk assessments, and ultimately inform the development of guidance material and regulations for the future.

“Working with the three selected companies will enable us to take a step closer towards a net zero aviation sector by supporting the industry to explore how feasible the introduction of hydrogen is and how we can make sure regulation develops with the technology and is fit for purpose,” said Tim Johnson, Director of Strategy and Policy at the UK CAA.

In other UK news, SAF developer startup Avioxx has successfully closed a pre-series A funding round led by UK travel company Trailfinders. The undisclosed capital investment, said Avioxx, will bolster its R&D efforts and expand market reach, design and regulatory approval of a first 5,000 tonne per year SAF production plant. The company aims to deliver a full-scale 32,000 tonne-per-year plant by 2027. Its patented system, which transforms waste destined for incineration or landfill, aims to deliver SAF at price parity with fossil-based jet fuel through the incorporation of solid oxide fuel cells to the manufacturing process.

“We’ve rapidly prepared Avioxx for a pre-series A round and our partnership with Trailfinders is ideal to support the delivery of our vision,” commented CEO Chris Hancock. “Trailfinders can offer much more than capital with access to their established networks within the travel community and experience. We’re thrilled to accelerate the development of the business and delivery of our initial operational SAF plant is now much closer.”

Further rounds of funding will be announced later in the year for the development and construction phase of the initial plant planned for the northwest of the UK.

Photo: Heathrow Airport

Christopher Surgenor

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Airbus and Paris-based TotalEnergies are to collaborate on research and innovation to develop 100% sustainable aviation fuels for use in current and future generation aircraft as well as address the composition of SAF on the reduction of CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects, including contrails. TotalEnergies also will supply more than half of the SAF required by Airbus in Europe, extending a partnership which started in 2016 when the energy company began supplying SAF to help power Airbus aircraft deliveries. During the recent Singapore Airshow, Airbus signed an MoU with the Singapore Economic Development Board to facilitate formation of a Sustainable Aviation Hub to focus on technology, research and innovation to progress cleaner aviation, including focus on SAF supply chains and hydrogen-based technologies. Also at the air show Airbus flew an A350-1000 demonstrator jet, the fuel for which included 35% blended SAF.

Milestones in the Airbus and TotalEnergies partnership include provision in May 2021 of French-produced SAF for a Paris-Montreal flight by an Airbus A350, followed in November that year of the first flight of a H225 helicopter, powered by 100% SAF, and the first A321 neo flight with 100% SAF in March last year.

“Accelerating the deployment of sustainable aviation fuels is essential if we are to meet our targets for reducing carbon emissions from aviation by 2030,” explained Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. “This partnership between Airbus and TotalEnergies demonstrates the willingness of aerospace manufacturers and major energy producers and suppliers to work together to meet this challenge.”

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said SAF development “is at the heart of our company’s transition strategy. Our company has set itself a target of 1.5 million tonnes of annual SAF production by 2030. We are happy to form a strategic alliance with Airbus to play our part in meeting the challenge of aviation decarbonisation together.”

Airbus has also signed an MoU with the Singapore Economic Development Board to facilitate formation of a Sustainable Aviation Hub to unite aerospace professionals, researchers and innovators in progressing “a robust and environmentally sustainable aviation ecosystem”, extending a partnership between the organisations which started almost two decades ago.

The key focus areas include research and analysis of SAF supply chain and hydrogen-based technologies, projects aimed at modernising and streamlining air traffic management, including the emerging generation of autonomous aircraft, and using new technologies and best practices to advance maintenance, services and operations in the aerospace industry.

A priority for the Hub is to work in close collaboration with local enterprises, universities and research institutions to facilitate knowledge exchange, talent development and joint research initiatives, said Airbus.

“Singapore is home to Airbus’ Asia-Pacific headquarters, given its strategic location, pro-innovation policies, highly skilled workforce and strong research capabilities,” said the airframer’s Chief Technology Officer, Sabine Klauke. “It is therefore an ideal choice to spearhead such an initiative here.”

Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, added: “Singapore is partnering with leading aerospace companies to drive technology, research and innovation, and talent development to support the sustainable growth of the aviation industry. The Airbus Sustainable Aviation Hub represents another milestone in Singapore’s longstanding partnership with Airbus.”

Photo (H. Goussé, Airbus): A319neo refuelled with TotalEnergies SAF

Tony Harrington

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