US airlines and the state of California are joining forces to reduce carbon emissions in the state by significantly boosting the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the coming years. The partnership is expected to increase the production of SAF and meet a large portion of the aviation fuel demand for air travel within California.
California to boost SAF use
California Governor Gavin Newsom made an important announcement recently about an agreement between Airlines for America (A4A) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that will see a rise in SAF production to reduce aviation-related greenhouse gases in the state.
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This is a significant partnership considering the Airlines for America group comprises most major US carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Atlas Air, and FedEx, among others.
Through this, California aims to increase SAF availability to 200 million gallons by 2035, which would translate to 40% of its aviation fuel needs for air travel within the state. Governor Gavin Newsom commented about the partnership and said,
“California and the aviation industry are joining forces to tackle emissions head-on. We’ve put the tools in place to incentivize cleaner fuels and spur innovation, creating opportunities like this to radically change how Californians can travel cleaner. This is a major step forward in our work to cut pollution, protect our communities, and build a future of cleaner air and innovative climate solutions.”
Key goals
A4A has also acknowledged the significance of this deal and said that such collaboration between the government and the private sector is needed to tackle climate change. Together, all the stakeholders involved in this partnership aim to work towards the aviation sector’s 2050 net-zero carbon emissions goal.
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In an official press release by the California state, the key goals have been divided into the following four:
- Ensure that by 2035, at least 200 million gallons of SAF are available for airlines to use. This fuel must also compete with the cost of traditional fossil fuels.
- CARB and A4A will work together to create new policies and attract investments that will boost the production and, ultimately, the use of SAF within California.
- A Sustainable Aviation Fuel Working Group of government and industry stakeholders will be created, and it will report on the progress made in this direction at annual meetings.
- A website will also be created that will communicate all the latest developments on the use of SAF and its overall availability in the state.
Hope and skepticism for SAF
Sustainable aviation fuel often divides people’s opinions. In recent years, many aerospace companies, such as plane manufacturers and airlines, have come forward to work towards the goal of increasing SAF production.
For example, recently,
Airbus and the Philippine Government teamed up
to explore local SAF production, in one of many global efforts in this area.
Photo: Ivan Marc | Shutterstock
However, many industry leaders, such as the CEO of Breeze Airways, David Neeleman,
feel that SAF production is extremely expensive
to the point where it would struggle to meet aviation fuel demands in a cost-effective manner. It remains to be seen what the future has in store for SAF.
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Key challenges to SAF supply include volatile feedstock markets, limited production capacity, and lack of global regulatory alignment.