News Excerpt:

The first transatlantic flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) took off from the United Kingdom.

About Flight100:

• This was the world's first 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a commercial airline.
• The UK has announced that it provided up to $1.26 million in support of the Flight100 project. This is part of the UK's efforts to achieve its goal of net zero by 2050.
• The project is being led by Virgin in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.
• The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from the UK for New York, USA, marking a major milestone towards making air travel more environment-friendly.

About SAF:

• SAFs are produced from renewable biomass and waste resources and can be used in jet fuel in modern aircraft to a maximum of 50%, blended with kerosene.
• These have the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel but with a fraction of its carbon footprint.
• SAFs' lower carbon intensity makes it an important solution for reducing aviation Greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainable Feedstocks for Producing SAF:

• An estimated 1 billion dry tons of biomass is enough to produce 50–60 billion gallons of low-carbon biofuels.
• These resources include - corn grain, oil seeds, algae, other fats, oils, and greases, agricultural residues, forestry residues, wood mill waste, municipal solid waste streams, wet wastes (manures, wastewater treatment sludge), and dedicated energy crops.

Other benefits of using SAF:

• Extra revenue for farmers:
  • Farmers can earn more money during off seasons by providing feedstocks to this new market.
  • This also helps secure benefits for their farms like reducing nutrient losses and improving soil quality.
• Environmental Services:
  • Biomass crops can control erosion and improve water quality and quantity.
  • They can also increase biodiversity and store carbon in the soil.
  • Producing SAF from wet wastes, like manure and sewage sludge, reduces pollution pressure on watersheds, while also keeping methane gas—a key contributor to climate change—out of the atmosphere.
• Improved aircraft performance:
  • Many SAFs contain fewer aromatic components, which enables them to burn cleaner in aircraft engines.
  • Lower local emissions of harmful compounds around airports during take-off and landing.
• Employment opportunities: These include jobs in -
  • Feedstock production in farming communities
  • Construction for building cutting-edge biorefineries
  • Manufacturing for operating SAF biorefineries and infrastructure
  • Aviation, including countless pilots, crew members, maintenance workers, and other industry professionals.