Friday, 29 November 2024.
What is SAF?
SAF stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, an economic alternative to kerosene which, in addition to the sustainability criteria, meets the technical and certification requirements for use in commercial aircrafts.
Already in development for 15 years, this liquid fuel produced from various sources such as recycling oils, effluents, solid waste and biomass, among others, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%.
Last year, after Carbon Credit Markets attendance to the 30th edition of the SAE BRASIL International Mobility Congress and Exhibition, we reported that there were already 9 technological routes certified, producing 300 million liters per year (0.1% of what is needed), enough for around 490 thousand flights. But with the expectation signaled by future purchase contracts: US$40 billion by then.
After this introduction, if yesterday our post was about the perspectives for fuels of the future in Brazil, today we will cover a recent publication by the Government of United States related to SAF.
We refer to the document “Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge Roadmap Implementation Framework”, an interagency effort led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), announced last November 20, 2024.
Although there is already a lot going on, the document identifies existing gaps where additional effort, public-private partnerships, and support will be needed to meet the goals set forth in the SAF Grand Challenge.
The gaps include:
Security and government policy support for organizing SAF supply chains.
Data and models that allow better analysis of transportation, supply chain and business.
Expanding and economic optimization of purpose-grown feedstocks and tapping the potential of waste and residual feedstocks.
Synergy with the existing infrastructure of the ethanol and petroleum industry.
Sectoral coalitions aimed at mitigating risks.
Communicating SAF Grand Challenge progress and benefits transparently and effectively.
All in all, profound changes underway in aviation.
Last June 2024 we commented on “IATA’s Global Outlook for Air Transport” report. If you recall, it indicated that the SAF already being consumed in aviation still has a high cost, around US$2,500 per ton, 2.8x that of traditional aviation fuel.
At the time of the SAE BRASIL International Mobility Congress and Exhibition mentioned above, the cost was 4x.
Would that be an indication of a reducing cost trend?
Click at the image below to read more about the “Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge Roadmap Implementation Framework” in United States.
Last but not least, also worth recalling what is happening in terms of CORSIA, the global emission reduction program from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
For example, about CORSIA carbon credits originated from a huge forestry project in Guyana earlier this year, the first of its kind.
