Prospects and pitfalls of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

History of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

In the 1990s, the automobile industry faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in fighting carbon emissions. Three decades later, the public is more eager than ever to embrace clean cars, and this trend should continue until vehicles running on regular gasoline are a thing of the past. 

Today, the aviation industry is grappling with similar challenges and hoping to achieve similar heights. Still, it has a long way to go, as its ambitions largely depend on a commodity commonly referred to as SAF.

What is SAF?

SAF stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Compared to fossil fuels, SAF in its pure form reduces carbon emissions by 80%. Unlike fossil fuels, SAF is made from feedstocks that consist of renewable bio-based materials such as cooking oils, vegetable oils, and agricultural waste.

Current international aviation regulations only allow up to 50 percent SAF in jet fuel blends, arguing for safety reasons but experts say the end product is no different from conventional fuel., With research having shown that jet engines are just as susceptible to SAF as they are to conventional fuel, airlines quickly started to argue that SAF could replace conventional fuel entirely, pending faster and wider availability, highlighting that the obstacles associated with SAF have much less to do with efficiency than with 1) supply and demand, and 2) cost.

The main challenges of SAF

1. Supply and demand

Aside from the supply chain challenges created by the pandemic, one of the biggest hurdles to SAF becoming the answer to aviation’s carbon footprint is availability. Production currently accounts for less than 1% of global jet fuel demand, with the hope that it could increase to 2% by 2025. Currently, there are only three major SAF production facilities in the world. Without demand, the goals of SAF proponents seem impossible. However, with the right legislation, through tax penalties or incentives, SAF could still thrive in the aviation industry.

2. Cost

The cost of SAF is inextricably linked to the supply of fuel. The cost of the production process and the lack of supply have made SAF five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel, so legislation is critical. For example, one Los Angeles-based fixed-base operator (FBO) recently made a 30% SAF blend available to aircraft, and the cost per gallon is more than a dollar higher than conventional jet fuel.

Europe and the US have different views on how best to encourage the use of SAF. While European countries favor tax penalties and usage requirements, the U.S. favours incentives, as tax penalties are unlikely to pass Congress. With the political barrier, airlines will have to bridge the gap and come up with alternatives to make flying greener until SAFs become more popular.

Alternatives

While SAF is a scientifically proven and widely publicised way to reduce carbon emissions, the aforementioned issues still prevent the aviation industry from significantly improving the environment.

In the short term, alternative solutions are needed. Unfortunately, there are no viable alternatives. For example, while car manufacturers can go electric, this is not an option for aviation, as batteries are currently too heavy to fly. Aerodynamic improvements and new technologies are other ways the aviation industry can become more sustainable, but such solutions involve a slow uphill climb, just like the SAF issues.

In the meantime, companies that want to make an immediate difference should consider carbon offsetting. For example, Private Jet Services (PJS) has committed to offsetting its carbon emissions as part of its carbon-neutral flight program, pledging to plant “79,200 trees in two of the country’s most sought-after regions and will adjust its reforestation program annually to offset increased flight activity, ensuring that PJS’s carbon neutrality pledge is met in perpetuity.” This is one way that both private and commercial aviation companies can do their part to combat the impact of carbon emissions.

Sustainability in aviation is the bright future that SAF promises. But with the significant impact of renewable fuels still decades away, individual companies must commit to making legitimate, achievable efforts in the meantime. It takes a village; every person can do their part to reduce the impact of climate change. Likewise, aviation companies can make a difference by choosing to lead rather than follow.

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