Sustainable Aviation Fuels: An Update
Have you noticed a drop in the amount of reporting about sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)? Have aviation businesses and the airlines lost interest in the technology? Could it be that they are not broadcast in the mainstream as much as it was two years ago?
If you were like us, over the past few months you have not heard as much about sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as we heard about them in 2021 and 2022. However, from what we’re seeing, the aviation industry is still very much interested in developing SAFs. What we have found is that the information about sustainable aviation fuel is not being picked up as frequently as it used to two years ago by the mainstream.
For those who were wondering what SAFs are exactly. Please see our article ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs): Changing the aviation industry, and its economics’, Where we discuss in detail what SAFs are, some of the benefits, some of the challenges, and speculate on the future of SAFs.
In another article, ‘Aviation and Renewable Energy’ we share another point of view on sustainable energy as opposed to traditional fossil fuels.
Whatever your point of you on sustainable aviation fuel as opposed to traditional fossil fuels, it is clear that technological advancement can be a plus for the aviation industry. The important question to ask, however, is whether the costs and trade-offs for adopting a particular technology particularly in the short to medium term are worth it.
In this digest, we want to take a look at some recent updates about SAFs, giving you some insights as to what has been happening with the technology recently.
The Aviation Industry Is Investing In Sustainable Fuel, But More Is Needed
The U.S. airline industry has set an ambitious goal to be net carbon neutral by 2050. To some this may seem like a long way off, but consider this is an industry worldwide that was built on using fossil fuels. Given the long lead time and risk to develop new aircraft, 2050 seems like it’s right around the corner. The two most popular commercial planes in the world, the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A320 family, first took to the skies 56 and 36 years ago, respectively. The newer models are of course more efficient than these first models, but the underlying engineering for both planes is decades old.
By Ben Baldanza | Forbes
Alaska Air, Shell Set Sustainable-Aviation-Fuel Collaboration
Alaska Air Group aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Alaska Airlines on Thursday said it would work with Shell PLC’s Shell Aviation unit to expand the sustainable-aviation-fuel, or SAF, market beyond a standard fuel-supply agreement. The Alaska Air Group Inc. unit said the agreement with Shell includes commitments to deepen understanding of the technology, infrastructure, carbon-accounting systems and public-policy support needed to bring SAF to more markets, in greater quantities and at a more sustainable long-term cost.
By Colin Kellaher | WSJ
Neste CEO: Sustainable aviation fuel aids supply chain efficiency
Matti Lehmus, president and CEO at Neste, discusses how the company is helping to make the aviation industry more environmentally friendly.
By CNBC
Hawaiian Airlines enters sustainable aviation fuel purchase agreement
Hawaiian Airlines plans to buy 50 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel over five years from biofuel company Gevo, Inc. Gevo expects the SAF will come from a facility yet to be constructed in the U.S. Midwest. Starting in 2029, the SAF will then be delivered to California cities where Hawaiian Airlines to and from. The local carrier currently flies to eight California cities — Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ontario, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose.
By HPR News Staff | Hawaii Public Radio
Note: The views and opinions expressed in the content shared in this digest are for informational purposes only, are solely those of the original content creators, and do not constitute an endorsement by or necessarily represent the views of On Aviation™ or its affiliates.
