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Sustainable Aviation Fuel!

"For the first time ever, a commercial plane flew across the Atlantic Ocean without using fossil fuels.”

Virgin Atlantic conducted a flight from London to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, powered only by sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”). SAF refers to many different types of jet fuels which create less carbon emissions than the standard kerosene fuel blends historically used in the aviation industries. SAF’s are “a broad category that includes biofuels made from raw materials such as corn, animal fat, algae, municipal trash, and sewage. [They] must emit at least 50% less carbon than petroleum-based jet fuel according to federal guidelines.” The fuel used on this flight was made from “waste fats and plant sugars and emits 70% less carbon than petroleum-based jet fuel,” according to the press release.

Today, SAF production is very small, and accounts only for 0.1% of fuel consumption for airlines around the world. The SAF market is small and growing slowly. BUT, this Cross-Atlantic flight on only SAF is pretty impressive as a demonstration and possible first step toward SAF’s one day reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry. Of course, practically speaking, it would require a significant business model change and huge capital expenditures for the airlines industry because standard jet engines today are NOT designed to run only on SAF’s. That makes it highly impractical and unlikely for airlines to start working toward an “all-SAF routes” business model in today’s business climate. Still, it’s cool, innovative, technology which has been tested and has real potential to help our environment. Investors around the world are beginning to investigate SAF’s as a profitable industry, but they have a long way to go. Let’s keep watching.

Sources:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/a-plane-fueled-by-fat-and-sugar-has-crossed-the-atlantic-ocean/ar-AA1kGQxE

Photo by Nguyen Hung: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plane-landing-on-runway-11150272/