The Fly Green Fund, a non-profit Swedish initiative offering businesses, public organisations and private travellers a means to reduce the climate impact of their flights through the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), has delivered nearly 46 tons of SAF to three airports in Sweden. The fuel was purchased from Air BP and produced from 100 per cent renewable waste and residue raw materials by Neste in Finland. With a lifecycle emissions reduction of 80 per cent compared with the conventional jet fuel it replaces, the fuel is certified by ISCC, which guarantees it meets the criteria of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. The Fly Green Fund was founded in 2015 by Karlstad Airport, SkyNRG and NISA (Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation), and with this year’s delivery it has so far imported over 1,400 tons of SAF to Sweden since 2016.

Although Covid-19 has drastically reduced travel, it is too early to say whether there will be a change in the way we travel in the future but the current situation is an opportunity for a fresh start, one that is greener and sustainable, believes David Hild, CEO of the Fly Green Fund.

“Travelling not only enables trade and the spread of new technologies, but it also broadens perspectives and our understanding for other cultures. I am convinced that travel makes the world a safer and a more open place,” he said. “Still, we need to recognise the impact travelling has on our climate and take action to mitigate it. An easy way to reduce emissions from flying is to buy sustainable aviation fuel.”

The scheme uses a carbon calculator on its website to work out the emissions on a particular flight and a cost to offset them using SAF. The traveller can adjust a slider up or down to choose the amount he or she wishes to pay. Three-quarters of the money paid to the Fund is used to buy SAF for delivery at Swedish airports, the remainder to develop the market and support initiatives to help increase demand and local production of SAF in Scandinavia. Payments from the travelling public go through a Swedish mobile payments system in local currency but Hild says the Fund will soon be accepting payments in euros to broaden its market.

The SAF deliveries this year have gone to Sundsvall-Timrå, Helsingborg Ängelholm and Kalmar Öland airports, and marked the first-ever use of SAF at the first two airports. The SAF supplied by truck to the airports was blended 34/66 with conventional fuel before entering the airports’ fuelling systems.

“We are replacing fossil fuel with SAF, thus reducing the impact of our customers’ flights. At the same time, we are increasing the demand for SAF and spreading knowledge about its importance to get aviation on track to meet its climate goals,” said Hild.

“The challenge is increasing the supply. Limited production means the price of SAF is about three to four times higher than conventional fuel, which in turn limits the demand. However, the higher focus on climate change has meant more airlines are interested in investing in SAF.”

Photo: Kalmar Öland Airport