Fuelling Take-off

This article was first published in Qantas Magazine, 18 October 2024.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is key to lowering the emissions footprint of the airline industry – the future of flying depends on it.

Until recently, fossil-based jet fuel was the only viable option for commercial flights. With multiple airlines setting net zero targets for 2050 and passenger numbers continuing to rise it’s crucial that the aviation industry takes action to find renewable and sustainable alternatives that will help reduce its sizeable carbon footprint. Enter SAF.

The Innovation

Sustainable aviation fuel is derived from biogenic materials (feedstocks) such as wheat and sugarcane residues; oil crops, including canola and rapeseed; and non-biogenic inputs like green hydrogen and renewable electricity. “The SAF industry is working on a wider range of feedstocks to meet the airline industry’s ambitious targets, while remaining sustainable,” says Warren Flentje, industrial decarbonisation lead, Towards Net Zero Mission at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

The Impact

When combusted, fossil fuels emit carbon locked away underground in plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. SAF recycles carbon dioxide absorbed by renewable feedstocks while they were growing. SAF combustion still produces emissions but when you factor in carbon dioxide absorption during the feedstock production process, SAF can reduce emissions by about 80 per cent. It can also be used without any changes to current technology. And, says Flentje, it’s our only available option for the decarbonisation of long-haul flights

Taking action

Qantas and Airbus are working together to support the development of a SAF industry in Australia, while the Australian Jet Zero Council, which unites government and industry, focuses on key policy priorities.

The next steps

“We have the technology to make a fuel that’s almost identical in performance to fossil jet fuel – but environmental sustainability is not just about the net emissions impact,” says Flentje. Creating SAF to solely reduce carbon emissions is short-sighted if the process causes unintended consequences on the ground, he adds. That’s why certification standards must reflect a broad range of environmental factors and traceability through the supply chain. “Ultimately, we aspire to convert our abundant renewable wind and solar into fully synthetic, or non-biogenic, sustainable fuels.”

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