London-New York test flight of Virgin Atlantic is an important proof of concept for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A commercial, unmodified Boeing 787 made the 5,800-km flight using 100 per cent SAF.
About Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- SAF is produced by taking biomass such as used cooking oil, waste animal fat, manure and sewage, and broken or spoiled maize, foodgrains, rice and waste wood. These are rendered into synthetic jet fuel substitutes.
- Some SAF processes capture carbon dioxide from the air.
- Some versions of SAF may be negative carbon because they reduce free methane (found in manure and sewage) and capture atmospheric carbon dioxide.
- Widespread use of high SAF mixes would obviate the expense and carbon impact of modifying or replacing jet engines of fleets.
- Every form of SAF has a low carbon footprint compared to the mining and refining of crude oil and natural gas.
- SAF is at least three times as expensive as jet fuel and, at the moment.
- SAF contributes less than 1per cent to the aviation fuel mix.
- Replacing billions of internal combustion vehicles with electrical propulsion would have a large carbon impact even if the exhaust emission is zero.
