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    U.S. DOT, FAA, and Boeing Collaborate to Develop Sustainable Aviation Fuels for APEC Economies

    Nov. 20, 2023
    The key challenges to using SAF, which can reduce lifecycle CO2 by up to 85% and aviation emissions over the next 30 years, are a limited supply and high cost
    Image Source: Boeing
    655b72cdd4d462001eff2c4d Boeing

    Boeing and the United States government are launching an initiative to boost the development and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 as targeted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

     

    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will partner with Boeing to sponsor the project in APEC's Transportation Working Group.

     

    The initiative will address challenges for APEC economies in creating and growing emerging SAF markets, such as:

     

    • Identifying the availability of sustainable feedstocks for SAF.
    • Analyzing new pathways to optimize SAF production.
    • Leveraging existing industries and infrastructure for SAF production.
    • Enabling the development of SAF-specific policies for production and use.
    • Exploring SAF accounting mechanisms, including book and claim.

     

    This initiative will improve the SAF ecosystem across the APEC region by capturing best practices and case studies from economies with more developed SAF markets. It will not only provide guidance and support to economies looking to establish new SAF markets but also help create a policy toolkit for regional cohesion in SAF policies and regulations.

     

    The agreement supports Boeing's work to help increase the use of SAF globally through industry partnerships and policy advocacy, investments in product compatibility work, and Boeing's own purchase of SAF for commercial operations. According to Boeing, since 2022, the company has purchased 7.6 million gallons of SAF for its U.S. commercial airplane operations.

     

    The current use of SAF by airlines represents 0.1% of global jet fuel demand. The key challenges to using SAF, which can reduce lifecycle CO2 by up to 85% and aviation emissions over the next 30 years, are a limited supply and high cost.

     

    "Industry studies and data tell us that SAF is essential to meet aviation's net zero commitment, but we need more of it," said Chris Raymond, Boeing's Chief Sustainability Officer. "This initiative helps deepen the partnerships that we have had for years with several countries to advance SAF, we will foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among APEC economies, all in pursuit of a safe and more sustainable aviation future."

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.