Boeing and CSIRO study sustainable aviation fuels

Aerospace manufacturer Boeing and CSIRO are partnering on a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Roadmap to explore how Australia can establish itself as a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) producer in the Asia Pacific region.

SAF is a key enabler for both the aviation industry’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and Australia’s Jet Zero Council mandate to reduce aviation emissions which contribute 2.5 per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions.

Senior manager in the CSIRO Futures team Max Temminghoff said: “The Roadmap will identify opportunities to produce, scale and meet demand for feedstocks required to establish a SAF industry in the Asia Pacific region.

“Emerging themes gathered from government, defence and industry experts, including the need to improve SAF literacy, suggest an opportunity to raise levels of communication, transparency and ongoing assurance of the fuel’s sustainability.”

Australian airlines have been slow to explore sustainable fuels, however in September Air New Zealand began using sustainable duels in its aviation fleet (pictured).

Boeing and CSIRO’s 34-year collaboration on research projects has led to significant aerospace advances, according to a statement.

These efforts also support Boeing’s commitment that its commercial airplanes will be capable and certified to fly on 100 percent SAF by 2030.

Regional Sustainability Lead APAC for Boeing Heidi Hauf said: “SAF is proven and used daily around the world in more than a quarter-million flights and widely accepted as a drop-in replacement for conventional jet fuel.

“It offers the largest potential to reduce carbon emissions in all aviation sectors, so finding out how to harness the economic and environmental benefits afforded by SAF is a meaningful jump forward for the region.”

Final Roadmap findings and recommendations from this analysis will be made available by mid-2023.

Picture: Air New Zealand