In what ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano described as the UN civil aviation agency’s most important event of the year, countries are convening this week in Dubai to agree a global framework on a cleaner energy future for aviation. The purpose of the Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) is to steer policy direction and financing to aid the rapid shift towards new forms of sustainable energy, in particular sustainable aviation fuels, to meet ICAO’s Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050. Sciacchitano said it would be a massive task that required immediate collective action. SAF production remains largely confined to Europe and the USA but the collective global target will require huge support and investment for energy transition in the developing world. The week-long meeting has been marked with an Emirates A380 demonstration flight with one engine powered by 100% SAF.

“We must urgently scale up the development and deployment of sustainable, lower carbon and other clean energy aviation fuels in order to meet the sustainability expectations of both the world and the stakeholders,” said Sciacchitano in his opening address at CAAF/3. “We have a massive task ahead of us this week as we deliberate on the ICAO Global Framework for aviation’s cleaner energy transition, a key step for the sustainable development of air transport. ICAO’s main priority is the implementation and achievement of LTAG. To do this, we need to take collective action now and CAAF/3 can be instrumental in laying the building blocks in terms of policy and planning, regulatory framework adjustments, implementation support and financing.

“This is also an opportunity for States to demonstrate strong leadership in addressing international aviation emissions just before the UN’s COP28 climate change conference also taking place here in the UAE. A successful, robust and ambitious global framework can only serve to shine a bright spotlight on the shared efforts and commitment to decarbonising our sector. We have a great opportunity to show and communicate to the world that aviation is seriously and strongly committed to decarbonise by 2050.”

In a video address, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said aviation was one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, “but with innovation and investment, it can be done.”

He added: “A net-zero aviation sector means cleaner energy sources on a global scale. It means economic policies and regulations that can support a just and equitable transition while attracting investors, and it means measures such as carbon pricing, low-carbon fuel standards and subsidies for sustainable aviation fuels. The global framework emerging from this conference is a critical step towards a clean and prosperous future for this vital sector. By moving at jet speed you can speed up the clean energy revolution our world needs.

“With the upcoming COP28, now is the time to turn ambition into concrete action to find ways to deliver on your net zero target and shape a better, cleaner future for all.”

CAAF meetings take place only on a six-year basis, the first held in Brazil in 2009, and CAAF/3 is the culmination of a series of stocktaking and pre-CAAF/3 conferences and consultations to prepare the ground for a ‘2050 ICAO Vision’ for SAF, lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and other aviation cleaner energy sources in order to define a global framework in line with ICAO’s ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative that takes into account national circumstances and capabilities. SAF, LCAF and other aviation cleaner energies are expected to make the largest contribution towards achieving the LTAG.

The 2050 Vision acknowledges that no single fuel source will be produced at a level necessary to achieve the LTAG and so the framework needs to be flexible and not exclude any particular fuel source, pathway, feedstock or technology that meets the CORSIA eligible fuels criteria, says ICAO.

Since earlier this year, a Small Group for Preparations for CAAF/3, under the Climate and Environment Committee (CEC) of ICAO’s governing Council, has been considering possible CAAF/3 outcomes, including a draft global framework. The framework is built across four interconnected building blocks that need to advance and work together: policy and planning; regulatory frameworks; implementation support; and financing.

Although there has been general convergence on the Vision, some differences remain around aviation cleaner energies and financing, which will be discussed during the conference.

A number of States want to see CAAF/3 emerge with a quantified goal in order to send a political signal of support for sustainable fuels that could unlock private sector investment around the world.

“The reason why investors need this outcome is that it is crucial to assuring the durability of their investments,” US government representative Annie Petsonk said during an opening panel session. “If they are going to make the major investments that allow SAF to be produced in refineries and to develop the required feedstocks and supply chains, they want to see governments are serious about this transition. Through informal consultations I have had already, I am very hopeful that I will be able to communicate a positive outcome to them.”

The US is also supporting the creation of the ICAO Finvest Hub, which aims to act as a facilitating platform to connect projects contributing to the decarbonisation of international aviation, including feedstock and SAF production, with potential public and private investors. A priority of the initiative would be to support developing countries and those with special needs in financing aviation decarbonisation projects. It would also offer technical assistance, capacity building and guidance on the development of legal and policy frameworks.

Industry is also represented at CAAF/3 and has a similar wish list. “There are two key outcomes we would like to see from the conference: a goal for SAF deployment that can provide investment certainty to the finance markets and influence policy actions around the world, and a supportive global framework that will ensure countries everywhere can take advantage of the opportunities to build new energy industries and secure jobs in supplying SAF,” said Haldane Dodd, Executive Director of the cross-industry Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

ATAG says the transition to SAF is already underway, with policy measures being implemented or discussed in around 40 countries, with $45 billion in forward SAF purchase agreements in place with airlines, operators and corporate partners. Ten facilities are currently producing SAF, it says, but by 2029 over 150 projects in 35 countries are being explored that could be used for SAF production.

“The SAF scale-up has begun,” said Dodd. “Over 10 times more SAF was delivered to airlines in 2022 than in 2019. That pace of development will continue but needs to accelerate significantly to keep in line with the industry’s path to net zero.

“Three things are needed to make the aviation energy transition happen: government policy to support supply and create certainty for demand; financing of the potentially $1.5 trillion in infrastructure capital needed to supply SAF at the scale required; and a serious effort by the traditional energy sector to shift their products from fossil to sustainable fuels. We believe the CAAF/3 meeting can set the scene for these developments and help catalyse the transition in aviation. These are tough decisions and complex challenges, but necessary ones to progress as climate change makes its impacts felt.

“A global framework from CAAF/3 will help capacity building and access to finance so that countries everywhere can build SAF industries of their own. Enormous value can be created in diversifying and democratising energy supply if governments grasp the opportunities ahead of them.”

Added Laurent Donceel, Deputy Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E): “The future of aviation depends on sustainable aviation fuels and it is critical the CAAF/3 meeting produces a global agreement for a net-zero aviation with realistic targets to promote the use of SAF. Global investments in SAF and boosting the energy transition in aviation will create a bounty of jobs and growth around the world.

“Europe and the USA are accelerating down the runway towards a more sustainable future so it’s critically important that the rest of the world keeps up and delivers a truly net zero aviation industry. CAAF/3 is an ideal opportunity to set this in stone.”

Environmental NGOs belonging to the International Coalition on Sustainable Aviation have called on the meeting “to adopt a global aspirational quantified objective for 2050 and an aspirational trajectory that are consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, and that prioritise the environmental and social integrity of alternative fuels.”

Setting the goal, they say, requires adopting, primarily, a metric that focuses on the carbon intensity of alternative fuels on a lifecycle basis, consistent with CORSIA eligible fuels methodology.

“A successful outcome requires focusing on defining an ambitious vision that prioritises the environmental and social integrity of alternative fuels and therefore avoids trading an environmental threat for another,” said a statement presented at CAAF/3. “The focus should always be on quality rather than quantity.”

In addition to a robust sustainability standard, said the NGOs, CAAF/3 should emphasise transparency to ensure alternative fuels are accurately reported and accounted for, with the avoidance of double counting critical for integrity.

The statement notes that whereas the CAAF/2 vision focused solely on sustainable aviation fuels, the scope for CAAF/3 has been expanded to cover not only other cleaner energy sources such as cryogenic hydrogen and electricity, but also lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) of fossil origin.

“ICSA believes that while LCAF may have potentially lower carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis, all fuels of fossil origin must, by definition, be regarded as unsustainable. The CAAF/3 Vision should avoid the use of encompassing terms such as ‘sustainable fuels’ and instead use suitable terms such as ‘alternative fuels’.

To coincide with CAAF/3, Emirates this week has become the first airline to operate an A380 demonstration flight using 100% SAF. In a collaboration with Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, ENOC, Neste and Virent, the Emirates aircraft took off from Dubai International Airport with one of its four engines powered on 100% SAF. The flight carried four tonnes of SAF, comprised of HEFA-SPK provided by Neste and HDO-SAK (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene) from Virent. ENOC helped to secure the neat SAF comprised of HEFA-SPK and blended it with SAK at its facility in the airport.

The 100% SAF was used in one Engine Alliance GP7200 engine, while conventional jet fuel was used in the other three engines. The PW980 auxiliary power unit from Pratt & Whitney Canada also ran on 100% SAF. The flight on November 22 was preceded by robust engine testing, with the objective of validating the engine’s capability to run on the specially blended 100% drop-in SAF without affecting its performance or requiring modifications. Ground engine testing took place at the Emirates Engineering Centre in Dubai.

Earlier this year, Emirates completed the first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region on a GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ER. Shell has supplied Emirates with 315,000 gallons of blended SAF for use at Dubai and the airline currently uplifts SAF in Norway and France. Emirates recently expanded its partnership with Neste for the supply of over 3 million gallons of blended SAF in 2024 and 2025 for flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports.

“The growing global demand for lower-emission jet fuel alternatives is there, and the work of producers and suppliers to commercialise SAF and make it available will be critical in the coming years to help Emirates and the wider industry advance our path to lower carbon emissions,” commented Adel Al Redha, COO, Emirates Airline.

Videos of the CAAF/3 proceedings are available on ICAO TV

Top photo: ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano addresses CAAF/3

Emirates A380 100% SAF demonstration flight:

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Finnish renewable fuels producer Neste is to supply sustainable aviation fuel to Wizz Air, which provides the low-cost carrier the opportunity to purchase 36,000 tonnes of SAF per year over a period of three years to use across its route network in Europe and the UK. The SAF volumes to be purchased are a key part of the airline’s environmental strategy to reduce carbon emissions intensity per passenger km by 25% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Boeing has also reached an agreement with Neste to purchase 5.6 million gallons (21.2m litres) of blended SAF supplied by Neste’s partners EPIC Fuels, Signature Aviation and Avfuel to power its US commercial operations through 2023. Still in the United States, a collaboration involving Neste, Bell, Safran Helicopter Engines, GKN Aerospace and Virent has resulted in the first-ever single-engine helicopter to fly using 100% SAF.

In 2022, Airbus aircraft operator Wizz Air achieved its lowest-ever annual carbon intensity, which amounted to 55.2 grams per passenger/km, and picked up a number of industry sustainability awards.

“We continue to invest in innovative technology and believe that SAF is a key part of the solution for decarbonising the aviation industry,” said Ian Malin, EVP and Group CFO at Wizz Air. “The partnership with Neste reaffirms our progress in reducing our carbon emissions intensity, which is already one of the lowest in the world.”

Responded Jonathan Wood, VP Europe, Renewable Aviation at Neste: “We look forward to working with Wizz Air on the reduction of their carbon emissions, as we increase our annual SAF production to 1.5 million tonnes by the end of 2023.”

The purchase by Boeing more than doubles its SAF procurement from last year. The SAF will be blended with conventional jet fuel at a 30/70 ratio, with the volume of SAF supplied by Neste totalling around 1.7 million gallons. EPIC, Signature and Avfuel will supply the blended SAF for Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator programme and the company’s fuel storage in Washington state and South Carolina. Additionally, the three companies will supply blended SAF for generating emissions reduction benefits for Boeing to allocate for company operations including Dreamlifter and executive flights, and commercial airplane deliveries.

“As one of the top aircraft manufacturers in the world, Boeing is sending a clear message to the entire aviation industry through this purchase that SAF is a key solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from flying,” said Michael Sargeant, VP Americas, Renewable Aviation at Neste.

The 100% SAF-powered flight of the Bell 505 in Texas had been preceded by rigorous testing by Safran Helicopter Engines, the manufacturer of the helicopter’s Arrius 2R engine, and GKN Aerospace, the fuel system component supplier. Neste collaborated with Virent, the supplier of the bio-based aromatic additive, to blend, test and deliver the SAF as a 100% drop-in fuel.

“Neste is working closely with forerunners in the aviation industry on verifying that aircraft can run safely on 100% SAF,” said Wood. “This successful collaboration demonstrates that we are one step closer to enabling the entire aviation industry to take full advantage of 100% SAF as the key means to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions of air travel.”

Michael Thacker, EVP Commercial Business for Bell, said the flight was “a monumental achievement” for the sustainability and decarbonisation of the rotorcraft aircraft. “Showcasing a single-engine aircraft’s flight capabilities with 100% SAF signals Bell’s commitment to alternative fuel usage and builds on its sustainability practices in its flight operations,” he added.

Photo (Bell): The first-ever 100% SAF single-engine helicopter flight

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An Emirates Boeing 777-300ER has performed a demonstration flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel to power one of its two GE90 engines. The flight on 30 January was the latest initiative in an industry campaign to secure regulatory approval for flights fully powered by SAF. Currently, the maximum allowed is a 50% blend with conventional jet fuel. It was conducted in partnership with Boeing, GE Aerospace, Honeywell and renewable fuel companies Neste and Virent. The flight, which followed the Dubai coastline for more than one hour, was a key initiative of the ‘Year of Sustainability’ declared by the UAE to highlight what it describes as a commitment to and capability of delivering innovative responses to energy challenges, climate change and other sustainability issues. Emirate’s first flight with blended SAF was in 2017, on a Boeing 777 flying from Chicago, and in 2020 SAF was used to part-power the delivery flight of an A380.

“This is a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges – reducing our carbon footprint,” commented the airline’s COO, Adel Al Redha, who travelled on the test flight. “Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powering a GE engine with 100% SAF,” he said. “Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals. We hope that landmark demonstration flights like this one will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and, most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future.”

The weight and lack of sufficient range for batteries and the immaturity of hydrogen as a near-term source of low emission propulsion, mean SAF is the only viable option to decarbonise large aircraft such as the Boeing 777 or the Airbus A380, both of which Emirates is the largest operator.

To perform the demo flight, the first in the Middle East and Africa to operate with 100% SAF, the airline worked with its partners to procure and develop a blend that closely replicated the properties of conventional fuel. Once a blend ratio was reached which reflected the characteristics of jet fuel, 18 tonnes of SAF were produced for use on the flight.

The SAF was comprised of hydro processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK), supplied by Finland-based Neste, and hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene (HDO-SAK) from US-based Virent. Neste’s ’drop-in’ SAF is mainly produced from waste fats, oils and greases, then blended with conventional fuel, while Virent converts widely-available plant-based sugars into compounds which enable the production of 100% SAF, without a requirement for blending. Virent used its BioForming process to produce the SAK, a critical component that made the 100% SAF possible, as today’s SAF – typically made from used cooking oil or other plant-based oil feedstocks – has to be blended with conventional jet fuel because they lack the aromatics required to meet jet fuel specifications. The Virent product was used to help other 100% SAF-powered demo flights conducted by United Airlines in December 2021 and Gulfstream in December 2022.

“SAF will play a critical role in the aviation industry’s commitment to be net zero by 2050, requiring strong industry collaboration,” said Omar Arekat, Boeing’s VP Commercial Sales and Marketing, Middle East.

Added Aziz Koleilat, VP Global Sales and Marketing for GE Aerospace in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Turkey: “Collaborations like this to test 100% SAF globally will help bring us closer to this target.”

Honeywell Aerospace, which produces the auxiliary power unit for the Boeing 777, also participated in the Emirates SAF trial. “The APU provides main engine starting, environmental control and emergency back-up systems for the aircraft on the ground and in flight. It uses the same fuel as the main propulsion engines,” said Mosab Alkubaisy, Director of Airlines for Honeywell Aerospace, Middle East. “Currently the APU is certified to run only on 50% SAF, so this demonstration is a big first step in showing full APU functionality and capability when running on 100% SAF.”

Jonathan Wood, Neste’s VP Europe, Middle East and Africa, Renewable Aviation, said sustainable fuel played a key role in cutting aviation’s emissions, “but to fully leverage its decarbonisation potential we need to enable 100% SAF use.” He reported Neste was working closely with partners to speed up the supply and use of SAF as the company prepared to increase its production capacity to 1.5 million tonnes per year with the commissioning of new production facilities in Singapore and Rotterdam. “We look forward to growing the supply of SAF also to Dubai,” he said.

Virent’s President and General Counsel, Dave Kettner, welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate “that we can power sustainable aviation without modifying today’s modern airline engines or the infrastructure that serves the airline industry. Along with our parent company, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, we are committed to meeting today’s energy needs while investing in an energy-diverse future.”

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO of the Dubai government-owned Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), said: “We prioritise working closely with our strategic partners to implement a national roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel. This not only aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, but also contributes to achieving the UAE’s goals in climate neutrality, enhances the efficiency and conservation of fuel, as well as positions the UAE as a regional hub for sustainable aviation fuel. Playing an active role in supplying Dubai Airports with aviation fuel, ENOC Group is participating in this achievement by securing and blending sustainable aviation fuel, which will help to secure this type of fuel in the UAE in the future.”

Emirates has 134 passenger and freight variants of Boeing 777 aircraft flying 119 routes, from the 349 km Dubai-Muscat sector to the 12,940 km journey between Dubai and Dallas Fort Worth. Aviation data group OAG has just ranked Dubai International Airport as the world’s second busiest global hub in 2022, after Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson.

Photo: Emirates

United Airlines has operated the first-ever passenger flight with an engine using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. In a partnership with Boeing, CFM International, Virent and World Energy, yesterday’s flight of a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 from Chicago O’Hare to Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport carried 100 passengers. Commercial passenger flights are currently permitted to fly with a maximum of only 50% SAF in their engines but United and their partners received special authorisation from the FAA for the one-off demonstration flight because of the use of Virent’s synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) in the fuel blend, which was first used in a United test flight in October. The airline has also announced new corporate participants in its Eco-Skies Alliance corporate programme launched in April this year that has now collectively contributed towards the purchase of more than 7 million gallons of SAF. United claims its SAF purchase commitments are nearly twice the size of those by the rest of the global airline industry combined.

“We continue to lead from the front when it comes to climate change action,” said United CEO Scott Kirby, a passenger on the ORD-DCA flight. “Today’s SAF flight is not only a significant milestone for efforts to decarbonise our industry, but when combined with the surge in commitments to produce and purchase alternative fuels, we’re demonstrating the scalable and impactful way companies can join together and play a role in addressing the biggest challenge of our lifetimes.”

An important reason for the 50% maximum permitted SAF use in commercial flights is the absence of aromatic compounds from the HEFA-based SAF in use today. The minimum aromatic content in conventional jet kerosene is about 8% on average and in common jet engines the aromatic content encourages the seals to swell, so providing more protection from leakage. When operating with SAF, the lack of aromatics can be overcome by adding them to the fuel or blending it with conventional jet fuel, although concentrations of aromatics should be minimised to reduce carbon emissions.

The SAF used for the United test flight in October, and for yesterday’s passenger flight, was a mix of Virent’s BioForm SAK and World Energy’s HEFA synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK). This accounts for the lower aromatic content in the SPK made through HEFA pathways, while still enabling a blend that is 0% fossil fuel-derived and a 100% drop-in ready with no aircraft or engine modification required, said United.

SAK is produced at Virent’s demonstration plant in Madison, Wisconsin, using corn dextrose from Iowa, and the company is targeting a greater than 50% reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions. Virent’s parent company, Marathon Petroleum, provided testing, blending and transportation of the 100% SAF for the United flights. Virent has also developed data from engine testing that shows a SAK/HEFA blend is cleaner burning and has lower particulate matter emissions than conventional jet fuels.

“Showing Virent’s BioForm SAK enables a 100% SAF that meets current jet fuel specifications is a big step, as it demonstrates that SAF can be a reality without the need to make significant changes to the current aviation fleet and infrastructure,” said Dave Kettner, Virent President and General Counsel, after the October test flight. “Virent’s proprietary technology demonstrates that SAF can be 100% renewable and 100% compatible with our current aviation fleet and infrastructure.”

United recently agreed to purchase 1.5 billion gallons of SAF from startup Alder Fuels, which the airline says is enough to fly more than 57 million passengers. Alder Fuels, headed by former World Energy CCO Bryan Sherbacow, recently announced a strategic alliance with government of Colombia to source biomass feedstock for conversion into sustainable low-carbon crude used for producing SAF.

The airline is also an investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, in which it has an option to purchase up to 900 million gallons of SAF.

United has nearly 30 participants in its Eco-Skies Alliance programme, including 12 new participants such as Maersk, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce and Visa. The collective purchase this year of more than 7 million gallons of SAF, with 80% GHG emissions reductions on a lifecycle basis, is enough to eliminate around 66,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions, or enough to fly passengers more than 460 million miles, says United. To build transparency and enable certified SAF emission reductions for its corporate customers, the airline recently partnered with Microsoft, Air bp and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials in a first-ever book and claim pilot (see article).

Photo: Fuelling United’s 100% SAF flight

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