Civil
Sustainability
The environmental benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are clear but its cost needs to come down significantly to make a difference
The ABC of SAF The race to ramp up Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Illustration: SP’s Team
By Byron Bohlman Hydrogen fuel. All-electric propulsion. Hybrids. Open fan. Gasturbine. SAF. These are the new buzzwords that are now part of industry vocabulary as aircraft and engine manufacturers, airlines, and everyone in the supply chain race to meet the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Alarming climate change data, public pressure, and the pandemic put new focus on the aviation sector’s estimated three per cent CO2 contribution. Airlines have been quick to identify their most fuel inefficient fleet types and remove them from service.
www.sps-aviation.com
OEMs were equally quick to accelerate development of more environmentally-friendly products. The current emphasis is on propulsion systems that are powered by clean-burning sources – electricity, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF.) Interest in biofuel started years ago The move to SAF, in particular, is gaining the most momentum, yet research on SAF viability production started some two decades ago. Then, biofuels produced from plant matter offered
ISSUE 7 • 2022
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