New SAF Coalition aims to scale production to meet demand in US

Several airlines, airports and aircraft manufacturers in the United States and Canada have established the SAF Coalition , a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims to scale up sustainable aviation fuel production in North America to meet net-zero targets. [caption id="attachment_57142964" align="alignleft" width="300"] (Courtesy/SAF Coalition)[/caption] The group was established April 29 in Washington, where 40 low-carbon fuel companies and U.S.-based carriers, manufacturers and airports agreed to “advocate for policies that will improve U.S. economic competitiveness in the SAF marketplace,” according to a release from the coalition. SAF is widely accepted in the aviation industry as the most reliable pathway to reducing carbon emissions, which account for 2% to 3% of global emissions and 12% of global transport emissions, according to IATA . SAF has chemical and physical properties similar to traditional jet fuel and does not require modifications to aircraft or infrastructure, making it an attractive option to lower emissions, according to the release. The coalition’s “goal is to rapidly scale investment in the SAF sector by advocating for policy incentives that promote increased production,” Alison Graab , the coalition’s executive director, told Air Cargo Next . SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% on a lifecycle basis compared to traditional jet fuel, she said. Roadblocks The industry faces challenges, however, due to the scarcity of SAF feedstocks, which include used cooking and vegetable oils, agricultural residues, unsalable animal fats and human waste . While SAF production doubled year over year in 2023 to 600 million liters, it is still only about 1% of the world’s need of about 450 billion liters, according to TIACA . SAF is also two to three times the cost of traditional jet fuel, which likely will add overhead to consumers, airlines and airports. The SAF Coalition aims to meet growing demand for SAF , meet domestic energy security regulations and reduce overall carbon emissions in aviation, according to its mission statement. Some members of the coalition include: Alaska Airlines ; Air Line Pilots Association ; American Airlines ; Boeing ; Hawaiian Airlines ; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG); LanzaJet ; San Francisco International Airport (SFO); and Spokane International Airport (GEG). “Since SAF can be made from crops, plants, captured gases or waste, it also creates new markets for American agriculture, bioenergy and technology developers,” the coalition’s website stated. “SAF can be mass-produced in the U.S. and blended with traditional jet fuel without the need to modify existing aircraft, meaning SAF can be immediately put to use.”

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