Consultant’s Insight: SAF in the spotlight with successful transatlantic flight

The COP28 United Nations Climate Change Conference will begin this week in Dubai and will focus on such topics as the effects of climate change , efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and who will pay for the costs of an increasingly hotter planet. The conference has been held 27 times already, but, based on a recent U.N. study, the world temperature and global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. [caption id="attachment_57139307" align="alignright" width="300"] A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 is fueled with sustainable aviation fuel. It's flight marked the first transatlantic commercial flight to be completed with 100% SAF. (Courtesy/Virgin Atlantic)[/caption] Representatives from more than 160 member nations will attend the conference, most likely traveling to the event by air. The global aviation industry produces around 2.1% of all human-induced CO2 emissions, according to the Air Transport Action Group . About 80% of aviation CO2 emissions come from flights covering more than 1,500 kilometers. The air transport market has embraced sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which can reduce CO2 by up to 80%, according to IATA . The European Union and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have established goals to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, and by at least 20% by 2030 and 50% by 2050, respectively. Making strides with SAF Meanwhile, the first transatlantic flight by a large passenger plane powered only by SAF was achieved today. Operated by Virgin Atlantic , Flight100 flew from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to New York’s JFK Airport (JFK). The Boeing 787 was filled with 60 tonnes of SAF. Two types were used, with 88% derived from waste fats and the rest from the waste of U.S. corn production. The carrier highlighted in a press release that SAF can be used now, while electric and hydrogen technologies remain decades away. “ Flight100 proves that SAF can be used as a safe, drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel, and it’s the only viable solution for decarbonizing long-haul aviation,” Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Shai Weiss said in a statement. “There is simply not enough SAF, and it’s clear that we need to see significantly more investment to reach production at scale. This will only happen when regulatory certainty and price support mechanisms, backed by government, are in place.” SAF fuel production remained low in 2022, accounting for just 0.1% of the overall volume of jet fuel, according to IATA. However, the output of SAF has grown fivefold over the past three years, the organization noted. The average cost for SAF averages around 2.5 times higher than that of conventional jet fuel. However, IATA anticipates that increased production levels and expansion of the feedstock mix will result in lower SAF prices, closing the gap to fossil-based jet fuel and easing the financial burden on airlines. SAF needs support Rising costs and supply issues are among the most significant hurdles, and the industry needs more support to reach the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, according to an October survey commissioned by GE Aerospace . In 2021, President Joe Biden launched a challenge to supply at least 3 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030, an increase from the current 15.8 million gallons produced annually. SAF producers are currently eligible for a tax credit of up to $1.75 per gallon to encourage growth under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, this may not be enough to offset poor margins. “At the moment, it’s maybe a hard decision for producers to put additional capital in to produce SAF rather than renewable diesel,” Gordon McManus , research director for oils and refining in the Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia and Caspian region with energy research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie , told Reuters earlier this month. Renewable diesel can be made from the same feedstocks as SAF. Increased collaboration between governments, the air transportation market and shippers that use airfreight is needed if the air transportation market is to achieve emission targets by 2050 and remain a viable option for freight transport. Join Air Cargo Next for the free webinar, “The future of AI in air cargo,” on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. ET. More information about the webinar and registration is available here .

Consultant’s Insight: SAF in the spotlight with successful transatlantic flight

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