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Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is made from non-petroleum
feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. It
takes about 1.5 gallons of ethanol to make one gallon of
sustainable aviation fuel.
All conventional aircraft are capable of flying on a maximum 50%
blend of SAF and jet fuel. However, by 2030, it is expected that
a large portion of airplanes will be capable of flying with up
to 100% SAF.
At this week’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Beyond Conference
in Rosemont, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state is
positioned to be a major player in the aviation fuel producing
market.
“The ecosystem that we’ve built for sustainable fuel development
is really second to none,” said Pritzker. “From agricultural
commodities to refiners to consumers, Illinois is a leader at
every step of the sustainable fuel supply chain.”
Last year, United Airlines announced plans to purchase one
million gallons of sustainable jet fuel at O’Hare International
Airport. O’Hare is the fifth airport in the world where United
has purchased SAF for operational use. JetBlue is currently
using SAF at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The Department of Energy set a goal to achieve 3 billion gallons
of SAF production by 2030, and 35 billion gallons by 2050. To
qualify for United States federal tax credits, SAF must meet a
50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Dave Loos, director of Biofuels and Research with the Illinois
Corn Growers Association, says the state is well positioned to
take advantage of the SAF market.
“The feedstock is there and our ethanol plants are set up to
produce much more than we’re producing now,” said Loos. |
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