That was one of the key findings from a recent webinar conducted by Argus Media, a leading source of news and pricing data for the petroleum market as well as other commodities. Argus is a global provider of information, so the webinar spanned key markets, from Asia to North America with Europe—which now has the strongest mandates for the use of SAF—in between.

In the world of markets, location ultimately doesn’t matter in the long term. The feedstocks used to produce SAF can be transported over long distances (though they usually aren’t); a refinery deciding whether to make jet fuel or other petroleum products is a choice that is influenced by literally hundreds of factors; financial incentives rather than mandates to produce SAF and other renewable fuels in North America can increase or decrease in value, impacting decisions on building new capacity or ramping up production at existing facilities. 

But it is mostly the European market, given its size as a result of its mandates, that Argus looks at when making its determination that supply at present is exceeding demand.

Charles Jones, a vice president in the consulting practice at Argus, said on the webinar that a chart showing growing demand for SAF out to 2050 “is clearly driven by the legislation that ramps up significantly over the next few decades to 2050.”

Some of the ramp-up has already occurred.

“At the moment, there is a slight overcapacity in terms of production of SAF,” Jones said. “[That surplus] reflects the amount of investment that’s been going into SAF in Europe over the last few years. That does create a little bit of overhang.”

But Jones said it won’t last: “There is a significant shortage after 2035.”

Louise Burke, who leads the North American biofuels and global aviation business for Argus, laid out the current imbalance. Current supply estimate is about 150 million to 175 million gallons per year, which is about 500,000 metric tons. But SAF consumption last year was around 350,000 tonnes.

Looking forward, Burke said the Argus database lists 195 plants worldwide that will produce SAF by 2028 for an output of 9.5 billion gallons per year. That equates to about 620,000 barrels per day (b/d) for a market that now consumes about 7 million b/d of jet fuel.

She said Argus’ estimate is that the world produced about 122 million gallons last year, which works out to about 8,000 b/d. So the share of SAF globally was 0.1 to 0.2 percent.

“We need to obviously get a lot more supply on line to meet various blend mandates,” Burke said. 

Burke also noted that “co-refining,” also known as co-processing, is becoming a significant factor in supply. Co-refining is where an existing petroleum refinery also will produce SAF and then can blend it directly into petroleum-based jet fuel. She cited a wide range of new co-refining plants that either have opened or are on the drawing board, with a variety of locations and key industry names: BP, Repsol, Italy’s ENI, and the first supplies of SAF from China. 

Another technology that may boost supply: alcohol to jet. It takes alcohol molecules, the kind that now can be further processed into ethanol, and turns them into SAF. A new plant in Georgia, the first of its kind, opened this year. 

It is an economic truism that laws and incentives can be passed, but ultimately the market will prevail as it always does. And the question with SAF is whether the incentives and mandates will produce enough capacity for SAF production or whether the industry will come up short.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a drop-in fuel, so-called because it is a one-for-one substitute for petroleum-based jet fuel. Jet fuel is the part of the barrel known as a middle distillate, like diesel and heating oil. So the relative price strength of jet fuel to diesel is a factor in refiners deciding to produce more diesel out of its distillate “cut,” and less jet fuel, or the other way around.

To get refiners and users away from making decisions based solely on markets, governments seeking movement away from petroleum and toward renewables take one of two paths. 

One is a mandate. In the case of SAF, there are several mandates, particularly in Europe.

The Argus forum spelled out some of the key ones in major European economies. In Norway, a rule that airlines must use 0.5 percent SAF has been in place since 2020. In France, a 1 percent mandate was introduced in 2022 and rises to 1.5 percent this year. 

But coming up is a larger one, part of the European Union’s ReFuel EU program. Starting next year, fuel “uplift” at airports in the EU must be 2 percent SAF. That percentage rises over time, up to 6 percent by 2030, 20 percent by 2035 and 70 percent by 2050. It covers all flights that originate from the EU, regardless of where they are going. 

When the ReFuel program comes into effect, member nations can not have their own mandate.

“ReFuel EU will increase demand, investment, and infrastructure for SAF while decreasing dependency on fuels with high carbon emissions,” according to a review of the EU rules from the International Trade Administration of the U.S. “The new regulation creates an EU-wide-level playing field and hopes to ensure an equal and competitive environment that benefits both businesses and the climate.”

Several Asian countries either have mandates in place (China and Indonesia) or are listed by Argus as proposed or under discussion.

The U.S. incentives for producing SAF in some cases did not need to be altered from existing incentives that give tax breaks for the production of any type of renewable fuels. There is no national mandate as there is in the EU.

But the incentives are not all national either, though some of them are.

For example, the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard incentivizes the production of transportation fuels with low carbon feedstocks. Production of a low carbon fuel generates credits, with the size of them dependent upon the entire carbon “life cycle” from feedstock to finished product. 

That has resulted in renewable diesel—like SAF, a drop-in fuel—accounting for more than 50 percent of all diesel consumed in the state and also means that virtually all RD consumed in the U.S. is done so in the Golden State. That’s because the credits generated from producing RD from animal fats in the form of restaurant grease have been given a carbon life cycle score that is relatively high on the scale, generating a good amount of credits. Those credits can then be sold. 

SAF made with restaurant grease or a similar animal-based tallow would also yield a plentiful number of credits. 

But as a slide offered during the webinar presentation shows, it’s not that simple. 

While vegetable oils from crops as a source of Hydrogenated Esters and Fatty Acids—the formal name for the classification of SAF—are in plentiful supply, wastes from used cooking oil are listed by Argus as having low availability and high feedstock costs. 

“There are major questions over whether there are enough of the currently easily used feedstocks in order to meet that demand in the long term,” Jones said.

That means the focus will need to shift to other plentiful supplies, like municipal waste and agricultural residues but where technology is not adequately developed to provide a steady stream of supply.

Additionally, some government rules look down on certain feedstocks. As the Argus presentation noted, SAF made from palm oil is not eligible either to meet the coming EU mandate or generate credits under the California LCFS. As an article in The Guardian noted late last year, “crop-based biofuels, which were once seen as renewable, are now contributing to deforestation and worsening emissions.”

Some other incentives in the U.S. have been in place for many years. The Renewable Fuel Standard, the rule that requires ethanol in gasoline, produced renewable identification numbers (RINs) that can then be sold, just like LCFS credits. That’s a calculation that would come into play on the question of whether to develop an SAF plant because the production of SAF produces RINs. 

And to drive home the point that future decisions on SAF plants will be driven by economics, no matter how many mandates are out there, it should be noted that RIN prices are at times so volatile—like LCFS credits—that the term used in markets is “RINsanity.” It isn’t a reflection of stability.

John Kingston has an almost 40-year career covering commodities, most of the time at S&P Global Platts. He created the Dated Brent benchmark, now the world’s most important crude oil marker. He was Director of Oil, Director of News, the editor in chief of Platts Oilgram News and the “talking head” for Platts on numerous media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business and Canada’s BNN. He covered metals before joining Platts and then spent a year running Platts’ metals business as well. He was awarded the International Association of Energy Economics Award for Excellence in Written Journalism in 2015. In 2010, he won two Corporate Achievement Awards from McGraw-Hill, an extremely rare accomplishment, one for steering coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the other for the launch of a public affairs television show, Platts Energy Week.

The post Global SAF Market’s Current Oversupply Expected to Change appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company showcased its Sirius CEO-Jet and Sirius Adventure Jet—the initial entrants into what it claims will be the first family of hydrogen-powered, zero-emission, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft—on Thursday at the Move Expo in London.

The models will be powered by a hydrogen-electric powertrain and fuel tank—a propulsion system designed to extend flight time compared to fully electric models. Similar to the Lilium Jet, the aircraft will feature electric ducted fans embedded in fixed wings and canards to provide vertical lift.

Both the CEO-Jet and Adventure Jet are expected to emit less than 60 dBA of noise at a distance of 100 meters—about the volume of a typical conversation—using what Sirius describes as a “deflected vectored thrust” propulsion system. The company claims they will reduce noise by about 95 percent compared to helicopters.

The CEO-Jet, designed to seat three passengers, will serve the private business aviation segment, combining zero-emission flight with luxurious, customizable amenities.

The Adventure Jet, on the other hand, is designed primarily for passenger and cargo transport but can also handle medical evacuations, search and rescue, firefighting, surveillance, and offshore operations. It seats up to two pilots and as many as five passengers, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 7,700 pounds, handling point-to-point trips to remote destinations such as jungles or mountaintops. It will even have an inflatable pontoon, allowing it to glide over water.

The latter design comes equipped with GPS, Doppler radar, very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio, and a digital autopilot system capable of hover and approach.

“The CEO-JET offers an eco-friendly option for business travel, while the Adventure Jet opens new horizons for global tourism and exploration,” said Alexey Popov, CEO of Sirius.

Founded in 2021, Sirius set out to design an aircraft that could combine the aerodynamics of an airplane with the versatility of a helicopter. The concept for a family of hydrogen-powered business jets first emerged in January, and the company shared more information in the weeks leading up to Move Expo.

The Sirius Jet’s calling card is its propulsion system—a hydrogen-electric powertrain that energizes 28 electric ducted fans, 20 embedded in the wings and eight mounted in the canard. Together with a pressurized cabin, these fans are designed to help the aircraft reach an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The fans are linked individually to one of 28 electric motors, each weighing about 21 pounds and containing a proprietary thermal management system. Air drawn through the jet’s intake passes through a cooling system and into onboard liquid hydrogen tanks. It is then channeled to a fuel cell stack, which has a high weight-to-power density ratio ideal for storing hydrogen.

Within the fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen react to create water and electricity, the latter of which is directed to a set of battery packs that power the electric motors. The packs recharge during flight, are active for only 90 seconds per flight cycle, and do not need to be replaced, Sirius says. Water, a byproduct, is released through the exhaust valve.

By Sirius’ estimate, it would cost only $500 to fully refill the fuel tank. The company further claims the propulsion system makes its aircraft more efficient than electric VTOL (eVTOL) counterparts.

The Lilium Jet, for example, has a range of about 155 sm (135 nm); the Sirius CEO-Jet will max out at around 1,150 sm (1,000 nm), while the Adventure Jet can reach that range using its additional fuel tanks. Further, the CEO-Jet’s cruise speed and Adventure Jet’s top speed—323 mph (280 knots)—is more than double the Lilium Jet’s (155 mph, or 135 knots).

A potential CEO-Jet network in the U.S. could encompass New York City, Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, New Orleans, and Miami. The Adventure Jet, meanwhile, could connect San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. According to Sirius, the network would offer “a 4-[time] improvement in travel efficiency compared to conventional methods” such as car or traditional airplane.

At the same time, the hydrogen-powered aircraft are billed as offering the luxury of a conventional business jet. Customers have the option, for example, to customize interior colors, upholstery, amenities—including champagne fridges, custom bathrooms, art installations, and kitchens—lighting, and flooring materials such as marble, hardwood, or carpet. Passengers can even pick the scent they smell when they enter the aircraft.

Both models are equipped with an airframe parachute system that deploys automatically in case of emergency, which Sirius claims reduces risk to “virtually zero.”

Sirius hopes to set up serial manufacturing and obtain certification for the Sirius Jet family before 2028. Next year, it expects to complete an inaugural flight using a demonstration plane and open sales of 50 business jets, with deliveries beginning in 2028. By the end of the decade, it intends to launch a shuttle network across the Americas, European Union, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

So far, Sirius has received an order from Indian seaplane operator Mehair for 50 Adventure Jets plus 50 options, with another from Indonesian tourism firm Parq Development for five CEO-Jets and Adventure Jets apiece.

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The “Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels,” or ECLIF3 study, was conducted through a collaboration with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and SAF producer Neste. 

Recent test flights of an Airbus A350 and DLR Falcon utilizing 100 percent SAF “show a significant reduction in soot particle emissions and formation of contrail ice crystals compared to using conventional aviation fuel,” Neste said.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The study found that when compared to a reference jet–1 fuel, the number of ice crystals per mass of unblended SAF consumed was reduced by 56 percent, which, the company said, could significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of condensation trails—also known as contrails.

“The results from the ECLIF3 flight experiments show how the use of 100 percent SAF can help us to significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of contrails,” said Markus Fischer, DLR divisional board member for aeronautics.

Mark Bentall, head of research and technology at Airbus, also weighed in on the study.

“This is a very encouraging result, based on science, which shows just how crucial sustainable aviation fuels are for decarbonizing air transport,” Bentall said. 

Contrails and Climate

Contrails are formed by supercooled water droplets that immediately freeze around condensation nuclei such as soot from aircraft engines. These contrails become visible in the sky as condensation trails. The ice crystals in condensation trails can persist for several hours in cold, humid conditions at altitudes of about 8 to 12 kilometers (about 26,000 to 39,000 feet), forming high clouds known as condensation trails or cirrus clouds. These clouds can have a local warming or cooling effect, depending on the position of the sun and the nature of the underlying surface.

• READ MORE: United Turns to Oscar the Grouch to Spread SAF Awareness

According to Neste, a few contrail hot-spot regions are responsible for a large proportion of the warming effect. Worldwide studies have shown that noncarbon dioxide effects—including contrails—could account for a significant proportion of aviation’s overall climate impact.

SAF is currently produced mainly from plant-based or waste-based renewable raw materials such as feedstocks, but in the near future could also consist of e-fuels and renewable hydrogen produced with renewable energy. Many of these sustainable aviation fuels are free of compounds referred to as “aromatics.” Fewer aromatics in the fuel means less soot in the emissions and, therefore, fewer ice crystals in the condensation trails.

The post Study: SAF Reduces Aircraft Contrails, Soot Particle Emissions appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

SAF is made from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil, and feedstocks. Neste MY SAF meets ASTM D-1655 specification for conventional jet fuel and performance standards under all operating conditions.

Industry officials note this makes SAF an optimum solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel without requiring new investments or modifications to aircraft or fuel infrastructure.

Embraer began using SAF in its operation at KMLB in 2021 when Avfuel would deliver one 8,000-gallon truckload of Neste MY SAF per quarter to Sheltair, the executive level FBO that supports Embraer operations.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

“Sheltair is excited to support Embraer by handling and storing these SAF deliveries, ” said Leonel Rivera, senior vice president of FBO operations for Sheltair. “This collaboration between Sheltair, Embraer, and Avfuel shows our commitment to reaching the industry’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. By combining our knowledge and resources, we will be able to handle and store weekly fuel deliveries of SAF.”

According to a statement from Embraer, the once-a-week delivery began in April. The extended partnership is expected to result in a total of 240,000 U.S. gallons of SAF delivered to Embraer in 2024, representing a significant increase when compared to previous years. According to the company, each truckload will provide a 19 metric ton reduction in carbon emissions, resulting in a 570 metric ton reduction in carbon emissions for the year.

With its fleet of business aircraft including the Phenom 100EX, Phenom 300E, and the Praetor 500 and the Praetor 600, Embraer has been serving the needs of the corporate traveling community for more than 50 years.

• READ MORE: United Turns to Oscar the Grouch to Spread SAF Awareness

“Embraer’s collaboration with Avfuel and Sheltair marks a pivotal milestone in our journey toward net-zero emission flight operations,” said Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets. “Our continued investment in SAF demonstrates our dedication to reducing emissions today and driving the industry closer to the net-zero aviation goal by 2050.” 

The post Embraer Partners With Avfuel to Increase SAF Use in Orlando appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since 2020, the U.S. Air Force has had a program called Agility Prime to look at electric aviation’s potential uses, but now legislators want the effort to be ramped up. As part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the bill would “set up a working group made up of top-ranking defense officials” to kick-start Agility Prime, and it’s throwing some major brass at it.

The new committee, if approved, would be run by the Secretary of the Air Force and would include the Army and Navy secretaries and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Air Force Secretary would have to submit a first report by September 2025 and annually until 2027.

The Air Force already has contracts with several companies developing eVTOLs, including Beta Technologies, which delivered a test article of its Alia aircraft to Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base, where it did its first test flight in November.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Oscar, well-known for his affinity for trash, has been dubbed United’s chief trash officer and is helping the airline educate the public about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

SAF is made primarily of waste products, such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste feedstocks. According to United, it can be used in combination with conventional fuel in aircraft in accordance with current blending requirements, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions.

• READ MORE: Biden Administration Defines ‘Climate-Smart’ SAF Subsidy Program

“SAF is one of the ways we’re planning to reduce our carbon footprint across United’s fleet,” the company said. “Investing in and using more SAF across the entire airline industry will help fly us all toward a lower carbon future.”

Since SAF is basically created from garbage, it made sense to have a trash expert like Oscar to be the company spokesperson for the effort.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters created in the 1960s by Jim Henson and Jon Stone. Oscar is a fluffy green creature with bushy dark eyebrows that gave him a permanent scowl. He spends most of his time seated in a garbage can and extolling the virtues of trash.

• READ MORE: Signature Aviation Pumping Blended SAF at LAX Terminal

United has several short videos starring Oscar the Grouch, beginning with one that shows how he saw a newspaper advertisement for a chief trash officer. With his 30-plus years of experience, how could he miss?

In other videos he plays opposite actual United employees who are excited about the use of SAF at the airline. He interacts with flight crews, sends junk mail to everyone in the world to let them know about United’s plans to power its airplanes on fuel made from waste materials. In another, he has a Zoom meeting with a Generation Z coworker with a sunny and upbeat disposition who wants to know how to spread the word that United is committed to lowering its carbon emissions by using SAF.

The campaign marks the latest SAF initiative for the airline. In February, Embraer announced it would join United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund, an investment program aimed at increasing the supply of SAF through investment in related startup companies. The airline and its 22 corporate partners have committed more than $200 million to invest in companies working to decarbonize air travel. 

The post United Turns to Oscar the Grouch to Spread SAF Awareness appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“This is a transformative time for Signature, and our partnership with Neste is helping us take another significant step towards net zero by providing a 100 percent supply of blended SAF at our Los Angeles location,” said Derek DeCross, chief commercial officer at Signature Aviation. “This collaboration exemplifies how we’re working together with both our guests and our partners to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and paving the way for a more sustainable future in aviation.”

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The blended SAF offering provided by Signature at its LAX location includes 30 percent of Neste MY SAF and 70 percent conventional jet fuel, enabling partners to achieve a 24 percent decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from air travel. SAF is approved for use blended up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel.

Neste’s SAF is made from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. 

Signature and Neste have been in a partnership since 2020 designed to help accelerate the industry’s adoption of SAF. Signature plans to expand the availability of Neste MY SAF to the rest of its California locations. Neste is expanding its SAF production capability to 515 million gallons of SAF annually in 2024 to meet the growing demand.

Signature said it recently passed the 30 million-gallon mark in terms of total SAF delivered throughout its network, describing it as a substantial leap toward reducing carbon emissions and helping the aviation industry reach net zero by 2050.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

“We are proud to continue expanding our collaboration with committed partners like Signature Aviation, who recognize the key role sustainable aviation fuel can play in reducing GHG emissions from air travel,” said Carrie Song, senior vice president of commercial renewable products at Neste. “Offering blended Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to all of its customers at LAX is a shining example of how the business aviation community can work together with fuel producers to accelerate SAF adoption and emission reductions.”

The transition to SAF at KLAX was completed on April 1. It is the second location on the West Coast to offer the more environmentally friendly fuel. The first Signature location to provide SAF was San Francisco International Airport (KSFO).

In addition, the growth in SAF availability at Signature LAX will also expand the location’s role as a key component in Signature’s book-and-claim program. Under the program, travelers and operators are able to purchase SAF in areas where it isn’t physically available.

“When an operator utilizes book and claim, they are able to claim the environmental benefit, while the physical SAF is provided for different aircraft at Signature LAX,” Signature said.

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The corn is now used to make ethanol, which is added to gasoline, but the move to electric cars will diminish that market. Ethanol can be turned into jet-A, however, and will cut the carbon footprint of jet fuel.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The administration is proposing subsidies from $1.25 to $1.75 a gallon for farmers but only if they meet some conditions.

The farmers will have to use “climate-smart” farming practices, including the use of approved fertilizers. The resulting fuel must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least half compared to jet-A made from fossil fuels.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

The measures were met with approval from the farm community, but environmentalists are less enthusiastic. They are concerned a flood of ethanol-based SAF will hinder development of fuels that are even greener that the corn-based product.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The purchase marks Boeing’s largest annual SAF purchase to date, 60 percent more than in 2023, Neste said.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to decarbonize aviation,” Ryan Faucett, vice president of environmental sustainability at Boeing, said in a statement. “About 20 percent of our fuel usage is a SAF blend, and we continue to increase our use of this fuel to encourage growth in the SAF industry. We are also working to make SAF more available and affordable to our commercial airline customers through collaboration, investment, research, and policy development.”

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

SAF is a renewable aviation fuel consisting of 30 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as fats, oils, and greases used in cooking, which is blended with 70 percent conventional jet fuel. 

According to Neste, the use of SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to using conventional jet fuel.

The total volume of blended SAF purchased will be supplied to Boeing’s commercial operations directly or through a book-and-claim system, according to the company. Four million gallons of blended SAF are destined for Boeing fuel farms in the Pacific Northwest. EPIC Fuels, a Signature Aviation company, will supply 2.5 million gallons and Avfuel will provide 1.5 million gallons of blended SAF from Neste. 

This latest order will be used to support the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program and Boeing’s U.S. commercial operational flights through 2024.

Boeing will also purchase SAF certificates corresponding to the emission reduction provided by the use of 3.5 million gallons of Neste-produced blended SAF produced through a book-and-claim system.

• READ MORE: Jet Aviation Signs Deal with World Fuel Services to Sell SAF at 2 More FBOs

Book and Claim 

Book and claim is an accounting process in which a company purchases SAF certificates to displace conventional jet fuel. Instead of putting the fuel into a Boeing fuel farm, distributors will deliver it to nearby airports for use by airlines and other carriers, ensuring the corresponding SAF use and related greenhouse gas emission reductions.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is a key lever to reduce aviation emissions,” said Carrie Song, senior vice president of commercial renewable products at Neste. “Working together with aviation sector leaders like Boeing is crucial in accelerating SAF usage and production.”

The post Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Firefly plant located in Harwich, England, will be adapted to convert human feces into SAF of which they are planning to deliver up to 525,000 tons over 15 years starting in 2028.

This initiative is part of Wizz Air’s effort to reduce its carbon emission per passenger/km by 25 percent by 2030. The aviation industry as a whole has set itself a ambitious target to be carbon neutral by the year 2050, and according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 80 percent of the reduction in emissions will be achieved through the use of SAF.

• READ MORE: Ampaire Completes Hybrid-Electric Ground Test Using Pure SAF

In February 2023 Wizz Air announced a similar agreement with Finnish group Neste for the supply of up to 36,000 tons of SAF over the period of three years starting in 2025. Neste MY SAF is produced from renewable waste and residues such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.

Other airlines such as Swiss, Ryanair, Etihad Airways, and Southwest Airlines have already made similar agreements to source SAF from Neste or other companies.

Lifecycle Carbon-Emissions Neutrality

Currently, the main issue with the sustainability targets pursued by the aviation industry is the lack of large-scale availability of SAF and the supply chain that is supposed to deliver it where it is needed at airports around the world. SAF is intended to work with the existing technology as far as engines and aircraft are concerned and can deliver a reduction of up to 80 percent in greenhouse gas emissions due to the oxygen-positive and carbon dioxide-negative effects during the production phase of its life cycle.

When burned to power jet engines, SAF generates similar amounts of greenhouse gases as traditional oil-based fuels, but since they absorb those gases during their production phase, the net result of their impact on the environment is significantly lower.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

In addition to that, SAFs are generated from renewable resources, unlike oil-based fuels.

“There are enough biosolids in the U.K. to satisfy half of the mandated SAF demand in 2030” said Paul Hilditch, Firefly’s chief operating officer.

A utility company has committed to providing the biosolid needed by Firefly during the initial pilot phase, the BBC reported. The biosolids are a product of the wastewater treatment process.

“Wizz Air celebrates two decades of transformation this year, transitioning from a small airline into a global leader of sustainable aviation and affordable travel,” said Yvonne Moynihan, corporate and ESG officer at Wizz Air. “Alongside fleet renewal and operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions from aviation. Our investment in Firefly, which has the potential to reduce our lifecycle emissions by 100,000 tons CO2-eq per year, underscores our commitment to mainstream the use of SAF in our operations by 2030.

“However, achieving our aspiration requires a significant ramp-up of SAF production and deployment. Therefore, we call on policymakers to address barriers to SAF deployment at scale by incentivizing production, providing price support, and embracing additional sustainable feedstocks for biofuel production.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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