Global airlines look to tap sustainable fuel; need help of govt and industry

The global airline industry has committed to cut carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2050. Besides using innovative technologies and improving operations and infrastructure, the industry has identified the usage of sustainable aviation fuel as one of the key elements in helping achieve this goal.

The global airline industry has committed to cut carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2050. Besides using innovative technologies and improving operations and infrastructure, the industry has identified the usage of sustainable aviation fuel as one of the key elements in helping achieve this goal. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a clean substitute for fossil jet fuels. Rather than being refined from petroleum, SAF is produced from sustainable resources such as waste oils from a biological origin, agri-residues, or non-fossil carbon dioxide (CO2). SAF has been around since 2008. And more than 300,000 flights have taken to the skies using SAF since 2016, according to the global trade body of airlines – the International Air Transport Association. More than 45 airlines now have experience with SAF. These flights have used it blended with regular aviation — without the need for any modification of engines or aircraft — and production continues to grow. The amount of SAF used by commercial aircraft rose 65% between 2019 and 2020, despite the devastating financial impact of Covid-19 on airlines. Air transport accounts for about 2% of global man-made CO2 emissions. In 2017, civil aviation, as a whole, emitted around 859mn tonnes of CO2, which is roughly 2% of man-made carbon emissions. It is estimated that (under the industry’s trend setting initiative CORSIA or Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation — a global carbon offsetting scheme) aviation will have to offset 2.6bn tonnes of CO2 between 2021 and 2035. Therefore, the aviation industry has pinned its hopes on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which it believes will help reduce airlines’ global emissions and industrial carbon footprint. It is proven that SAF can cut CO2 lifecycle emissions up to 80% compared with conventional jet fuel. It uses sustainable fuel sources, which do not compete with food or water, or damage biodiversity. Sustainable aviation fuels are currently certified by regulators for up to 50% use in commercial flights. About 100mn litres of SAF will be produced in 2021, according to IATA. But the association says this is too little to meet the demand for cleaner fuel and make any positive impact on the environment. “Supply (of SAF) is limited and the price is too high. Airlines are buying more SAF despite it costing three times more than regular aviation kerosene,” noted IATA’s senior vice-president (Environment and Sustainability) Sebastian Mikosz at a media event recently. Experts affirm post-Covid-19 “green recovery” must embrace sustainable aviation fuels in line with the aviation industry’s commitment to its emissions reduction goals. Current SAF production is 50mn litres annually, according to an IATA estimate. To reach a tipping point, where the scale of production will see SAF costs drop to levels competitive with jet fuel, the production needs to reach 7bn litres or 2% of 2019 consumption, the global trade body of airlines say. Obviously, the current production rates of sustainable aviation fuels are too low for aviation to reach its goal despite SAF’s proven potential and airline efforts to date. “We are starting to see supportive government policy in the US, UK and Europe, which could boost SAF production, but there is much more governments can do,” Mikosz stressed. “Airlines don’t make SAF. We rely on producers. For this reason, we need more big oil companies to raise production,” Mikosz said and noted that though there are some early adopters, majority of global oil companies are yet to make a commitment on SAF. He said there should be a specific government policy on sustainable aviation fuels; one that promotes the usage on SAF on environmental grounds. The IATA official suggested that it should be along the lines of governments’ support to other start-up energy like solar and wind. Experts say that in the absence of proven technology, aircraft will not be able to switch to alternative energy sources (like hydrogen or electricity) in the immediately future. Therefore, it will have to be powered on liquid fuels for the foreseeable future. Sustainable aviation fuel made from renewable feedstock is seen as one of the most important short term options to significantly reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, and at the same time, also reduce the dependency on the petroleum industry. * Pratap John is Business Editor at Gulf Times. Twitter handle: @PratapJohn