{"id":5968,"date":"2024-08-21T16:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T15:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenairnews.com\/?p=5968"},"modified":"2024-12-05T19:32:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T19:32:19","slug":"saf-production-set-to-surge-in-the-us-through-a-series-of-major-new-international-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenairnews.com\/?p=5968","title":{"rendered":"SAF production set to surge in the US through a series of major new international partnerships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A slew of new sustainable aviation fuel initiatives have been announced in the US, including major supplies for United Airlines and JetBlue at their respective hubs in Chicago and New York, Airbus investing in emerging SAF producer LanzaJet and UK start-up Firefly Green Fuels partnering with US biosolids feedstock provider Synagro Technologies to produce low carbon fuel in North America. United will receive up to 1 million gallons (3,000 tonnes) of SAF during 2024 from Finland\u2019s Neste, which has just commissioned a new terminal facility in Houston, Texas, while JetBlue will take at least 1 million gallons from World Fuel Services, potentially by the fourth quarter of this year. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, meanwhile, has joined a list of big-name investors in LanzaJet, which recently activated the world\u2019s first ethanol-to-SAF facility, Freedom Pines Fuels in Georgia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By signing for SAF from Neste\u2019s newly-commissioned SAF terminal capacity at ONEOK’s Galena Park Terminal facility in Houston, Texas, United, the world\u2019s third biggest airline, will become the first carrier to buy SAF to power regular commercial flights from Chicago O\u2019Hare, the third busiest airport in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new capacity at ONEOK\u2019s terminal<\/a> provides Neste with storage capacity of up to 100,000 tons (around 33.5 million gallons) and is directly connected to the energy pipeline infrastructure in the eastern part of the US. The SAF is expected to be piped to Chicago from August, expanding the availability of Neste\u2019s product to airlines operating from east of the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deal has been underpinned by the Illinois SAF Purchase Credit, introduced last year for every gallon of the fuel sold to or used by an airline in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together,\u201d said United President Brett Hart, who praised the Illinois Legislature and State Governor JB Pritzker for introducing the incentives which powered the SAF deal at Chicago O\u2019Hare. \u201cWhile the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander Kueper, Neste\u2019s VP, Renewable Aviation Business, said the deal expanded an existing partnership with United, which has already procured Neste SAF in San Francisco and at Amsterdam\u2019s Schiphol Airport. \u201cWe are excited to expand our partnership with United and see our SAF being used at one of the major airports in the US,\u201d he said. \u201cIt underlines our commitment to supporting the US aviation industry in its efforts to decarbonise and shows the important role that policy supports like the federal SAF 40B credit and the Illinois SAF Purchase Credit play in accelerating SAF usage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JetBlue, too, is ramping up its SAF use, signing with US-based World Fuel Services<\/a> to provide the first regular supply of blended SAF<\/a> to New York\u2019s John F Kennedy Airport, pumped in via existing infrastructure including the Colonial Pipeline, America\u2019s largest pipeline system for refined fuel products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neat SAF produced by Diamond Green Diesel<\/a> will be blended with conventional jet fuel by Valero Marketing and Supply Company<\/a>, then delivered to World Fuel. The airline will acquire at least 1 million gallons of neat SAF, equivalent to 3.3 million gallons of blended fuel, potentially as early as the fourth quarter of this year. It will also have an option to procure up to 4 million gallons more (about 13.3 million gallons blended), though the timeline for the additional fuel was not disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis newly available SAF in our hometown is a key signal of the growing engagement by major fuel producers and the potential of SAF to meaningfully address aviation\u2019s carbon emissions,\u201d said Sara Bogdan, the airline\u2019s Managing Director of sustainability and environmental social governance. \u201cBy leveraging Valero\u2019s globally recognised expertise in energy markets and logistics, and by utilising existing jet fuel distribution infrastructure, this new, large-scale supply of SAF is set to be a pivotal moment as the industry grows the use of SAF.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brad Hurwitz, World Fuel\u2019s SVP, Supply and Trading, welcomed the JetBlue deal to bring SAF to JFK Airport, strengthening the energy company\u2019s ambition to develop a consistent flow of the fuel to the US east coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, as a result of state-level programmes incentivising the use of renewable fuels, the majority of domestically supplied blended SAF is delivered into west coast airports,\u201d he said. \u201cEngagement across public and private sectors is needed to expand the supply of SAF to more cities and grow the economies of scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus<\/a> has become the latest investor to support US-based SAF producer LanzaJet<\/a>, strengthening that company\u2019s plans to produce the fuel not only in America but in multiple other markets. To scale its alcohol-to-jet fuel technology, LanzaJet is involved in projects in 25 countries across five continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By participating in LanzaJet\u2019s s latest growth equity funding round, Airbus joined a high-profile list of investors and funders including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Southwest Airlines, French airports company Groupe ADP, Microsoft\u2019s Climate Innovation Fund, sustainable finance group Breakthrough Energy, Shell, Suncor Energy and Japan\u2019s Mitsui & Co and MUFG Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSustainable aviation fuels are one of the most important levers available to decarbonise aviation, but their production is still limited,\u201d said Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus, echoing a consistent and increasing concern in the aviation sector. \u201cOur partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates Airbus \u2019commitment to work with leading energy technology suppliers to explore innovative production pathways and scale SAF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis important partnership with LanzaJet underlines the importance of new technologies and cross-sector collaboration to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The renewable fuel company uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF, a process it says will reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuels.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLanzaJet intentionally developed a diverse portfolio of strategic investors consisting of leading global companies to ensure we have the ecosystem to scale the SAF industry,\u201d said CEO Jimmy Samartzis. \u201cThis important investment from Airbus supports the growth of our company, enabling LanzaJet to scale the production and deployment of SAF to continue working towards meeting aviation\u2019s decarbonisation goals and developing a more sustainable industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LanzaJet is involved in developing a SAF production project \u2013 Project Speedbird \u2013 in the UK in partnership with British Airways and Nova Pangaea Technologies. In the reverse direction, UK-based start-up Firefly Green Fuels, whose technology converts sewage sludge into high performance fuels including SAF, has announced that Baltimore-headquartered Synagro<\/a> will be the exclusive supplier of biosolid content in the American market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firefly<\/a> uses as process called hydrothermal liquefaction to chemically transform biosolid waste into biocrude and biochar, the former upgraded to SAF and the remainder to other uses including fertiliser. It recently secured investment funding from a partnership of Boeing and sustainable investment group Clear Sky<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a perfect partnership with monumental implications,\u201d said Synagro\u2019s CEO, Bob Preston. \u201cWe\u2019re pairing Synagro\u2019s expertise in sustainable solutions for biosolids with Firefly\u2019s SAF technology to evolve the circular economy.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, said there was a huge requirement for SAF in North America, the world\u2019s biggest combined air transport market. \u201cBy working together, we can bring operations online quickly, creating new jobs and vast volumes of truly sustainable fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: United will become the first carrier to power regular commercial flights from Chicago O\u2019Hare with SAF<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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