United's CSO Lifts the Lid on Sustainable Aviation Fuel
The aviation sector has long been under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Since the dawn of commercial flight, concerns about its ecological footprint have been ever-present.
Today, as we face the urgent challenge of climate change, the industry finds itself at a critical juncture. Airlines currently account for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with an estimated 37.8 million annual flights generating a staggering 800 million tonnes of CO₂.
These figures paint a stark picture of the industry's environmental toll. But is this carbon-convenience trade-off inevitable? According to Nili Gilbert, Vice Chairwoman of Carbon Direct and Lauren Riley, CSO of United Airlines, the answer is a resounding no.
Their vision for the future of aviation centres on a game-changing solution: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
What is SAF?
SAF represents a beacon of hope for an industry striving to reconcile global connectivity with environmental responsibility. As Lauren explains, SAF is a revolutionary fuel "derived from waste and renewable feedstock, offering up to 85% reduction in carbon emissions over its lifecycle".
This dramatic reduction in carbon output makes SAF an incredibly attractive option for airlines pursuing ambitious net-zero targets. It's not just an alternative - it's potentially the lifeline the industry needs to survive in an increasingly carbon-conscious world.
Lauren acknowledges the unique position of the aviation sector. She says: "While our current 3% contribution to global emissions might seem modest, we anticipate this percentage growing as other industries successfully decarbonise.
"We're essentially a hard-to-abate sector with limited options for reducing our environmental impact."
The current state of SAF production
Despite its immense potential, the current production of SAF falls woefully short of industry requirements. Nili highlights this disparity: "When we compare last year's total SAF production to United's annual fuel consumption alone, SAF accounted for a mere 0.1% of their usage."
Lauren corroborates this sobering statistic: "United consumes roughly 4.25 billion gallons of fuel each year. In contrast, global SAF production last year reached only 150 million gallons." These figures underscore the monumental challenge facing the industry.
However, both experts emphasise that this is just the beginning of the SAF journey.
Expanding feedstock options
Current SAF production primarily relies on a limited range of sources:
- Used cooking oils
- Waste fats
- Biomass from various origins
- Agricultural by-products
However, as Nili points out, these sources alone are insufficient: "Waste oils can only meet about 6-8% of total fuel requirements."
This limitation underscores the urgent need to develop and scale up alternative feedstock sources.
Cutting-edge technologies
Among the most promising innovations in SAF production is power-to-liquid technology. Lauren describes this as a potential "closed-loop system for aviation".
The process involves extracting CO₂ from the atmosphere and converting it into lower-carbon jet fuel using a combination of renewable energy, green hydrogen, and other advanced technologies.
This approach not only reduces emissions but also offers a way to actively remove carbon from the atmosphere, potentially making aviation a net-positive industry in the fight against climate change.
Interim strategies for emission reduction
While the aviation industry works towards scaling up SAF production, it's also implementing other strategies to reduce its environmental impact:
- Lightweighting: This involves reducing the overall weight of aircraft to decrease fuel consumption. As Lauren explains, "Less weight means less fuel used, which in turn means fewer emissions produced."
- Contrail management: Contrails, the white streaks often seen behind aircraft, can contribute to atmospheric warming. Lauren suggests a collaborative approach. "We could feasibly have air traffic control and all operators working together to navigate around atmospheric conditions that lead to contrail formation," she says.
These measures, while not as transformative as SAF, represent important steps in the industry's broader sustainability efforts.
The crucial role of policy and partnerships
Both Nili and Lauren emphasise that the transition to sustainable aviation cannot happen in isolation. It requires a concerted effort involving:
- Supportive government policies
- Strategic corporate partnerships
- Collaborative investment in research and development
Lauren praises the US Inflation Reduction Act as a "historic" piece of legislation, providing unprecedented support for sustainable aviation initiatives.
She also highlights the importance of corporate partnerships, noting that many companies are allocating significant budgets to achieve their own climate commitments.
Nili adds that these partnerships could be instrumental in achieving the economies of scale necessary to make SAF more economically viable. "With early adopters willing to pay premium prices now, we can work towards reducing costs for all consumers in the future," she explains.
Looking to the horizon
Despite the significant challenges ahead, both Nili and Lauren maintain an optimistic outlook on the future of sustainable aviation. As Lauren succinctly puts it: "We have the technological solutions. Now we need to align the economic incentives to make sustainable aviation the preferred path forward."
The journey towards truly green aviation is undoubtedly complex and challenging. However, with continued innovation, collaboration, and determination, the industry is poised to transform itself. The sky may not be the limit after all – it might just be the beginning of aviation's most important journey yet.
Tom Byrne, Head of Net Zero and Environment at British Airways, will be discussing this topic further at our Net Zero event on 5/6 March, get your tickets now by clicking this link.
Make sure you check out the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Sustainability LIVE
Sustainability Magazine is a BizClik brand
