Understanding SAF buyers

Airlines are lining up to buy as much sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as they can, despite it costing two to three times more than conventional jet fuel, according to BloombergNEF. United Airlines has secured 2.9 billion gallons of SAF over, and others like Delta, Air France-KLM, and Southwest have secured around 1 billion gallons each. And yet to meaningfully decarbonize aviation, the SAF market needs to grow thousands of times larger than it is today. BloombergNEF estimates that global production capacity will grow 10-fold by 2030, but by then supply will still only meet 5% of jet fuel demand.

So how are airlines thinking about scaling up their procurement of SAF?

In this episode, Shayle talks to Amelia DeLuca, chief sustainability officer at Delta. They cover topics like:

• Who pays the green premium
• Infrastructure considerations, like SAF hubs and blending
• Technical pathways, like hydroprocessing, alcohol-to-jet, and power-to-liquids
• The role of incentives and regulation, like ReFuelEU
• Why airlines should procure SAF instead of buying carbon removal

Recommended Resources:

BloombergNEF: United Airlines Is Betting Big on a Pricey Green Aviation Fuel

The Verge: Delta Air Lines lays out its plan to leave fossil fuels behind 

Canary Media: Can corn ethanol really help decarbonize US air travel?

Canary Media: How hydrogen ​‘e-fuels’ can power big ships and planes

Catalyst: CO2 utilization

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