Page 34 - Flight International (January 2020)

BIOFUEL

Bombardier delivered a Challenger 350
powered by SAF to US-based private jet
firm Latitude 33 Aviation last December

Bombardier

bonise aviation,” says Turner, although he production of advanced biofuels,” the Norwe- According to Lizzie German, a senior con-
acknowledges that this could add up to 20% gian government says. sultant at sustainable energy consultancy
to the total airfare. “You may have to say There is also the potential for governments E4Tech, low-carbon fuels could account for
you’ve got to have 10-20% more expensive to incentivise airlines to use sustainable fuels between 22% and 45% of global jet fuel de-
aviation because that’s the only way.” through adjustments to eco-taxes by charging mand in 2050. Hydro-processed esters and
Such a significant shift to alternative fuels those flying on conventional fuels more. Re- fatty acids fuels, such as those derived from
is unlikely to materialise without help from ferring to the UK’s Air Passenger Duty, for in- used cooking oil, are the most commercially
governments. Air BP, which supplies sustain- stance, Turner says: “The chancellor could developed of the five certificated pathways.
able aviation fuel to commercial and business say we’ve got this tax at x amount but we’re But while these fuels can help satisfy
aircraft operators, is keen to see regulators cre- now going to make it x plus 50% [for non-bio- short-term demand over the next five to 10
ate a more favourable environment to enable fuel flights] and minus 50% [for flights operat- years, their production will be limited by
the fledgling market to get off the ground. ing on a biofuel blend].” “the availability of sustainable feedstocks” in
“Governments need to create the right poli- Companies can also play a direct role. In the longer term, says German. “Yes, there are
cies to accelerate the availability and uptake December 2019, US charter and management enough feedstocks available, but the chal-
of SAF,” says Air BP global sales and market- company Latitude 33 Aviation became the lenge we need to overcome is: is there
ing director for general aviation Irene Lores. first Bombardier customer to make a SAF- enough sustainable feedstock and how do
“Additionally, increasing SAF production re- fuelled delivery flight, of a Challenger 350 we ensure sustainability?”
quires long-term policy certainty to reduce from the airframer’s Dorval, Montreal plant.
investment risks, as well as a focus on the re- Bombardier says it is actively promoting SAF BIGGER PLANTS
search, development and commercialisation as a “regular part of flying business aircraft”. In order to substantially scale up production
of improved production technologies and in- But with limited supplies of low-carbon of sustainable aviation fuels, there is a “need
novative sustainable feedstocks.” fuels and competition from other transport to get the supply chains in place and access
modes, airlines are restricted in how much the finance to build large-scale plants”,
NORWAY LEADS they can buy. In its report, the ETC makes the observes German.
Mandating the use of biofuels by airlines is case for prioritising aviation over other sectors The market appears to be slowly moving in
another way in which governments can in- for access to what is currently a very limited this direction. In the UK, Sustainable Aviation
crease take-up, and this is already starting to supply of biofuel. – a coalition of airlines, airports, manufactur-
happen. From 1 January 2020, 0.5% of avia- “Aviation is almost the only sector of the ers and air navigation service providers – is
tion fuel sold in Norway must be biofuel, economy where – absent a major break- calling on the government to establish a dedi-
under a new mandate from the Norwegian through in battery density and/or a sharp re- cated Office for Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
government. Other Scandinavian countries duction in the carbon intensity and price of The group says it wants the office “to drive
look set to follow Oslo’s lead. power for hydrogen production – there ap- public and private investment into the first
The Norwegian government has set a target pears to be no feasible alternative to a bio- commercial-scale facilities, and look at what
for 30% of aviation fuel sold in the country to based route to achieve net-zero carbon emis- government incentives are needed to encour-
be biofuel by 2030. sions. There is, therefore, a strong case for age the development of a market”.
“The decision to introduce a requirement is treating aviation as the priority sector claim- Sustainable Aviation member British Air-
good for the climate, good for the environ- ant on a constrained supply of sustainable ways announced in August 2019 that it had
ment and helps accommodate for Norwegian bio energy,” says the report. submitted a planning application alongside ❯❯

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