Led by Virgin Atlantic, the Flight100 initiative, in partnership with prestigious institutions including Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, and industry giants like Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and BP, has revealed profound findings regarding the feasibility of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a reliable substitute for traditional fossil fuels in air transport.
SAF, sourced from renewable reservoirs like waste cooking fats or botanical resources, has showcased its alignment with current infrastructure and its capability to deliver significant decreases in CO2 emissions.
A trial flight conducted from London Heathrow to New York JFK showcased several notable advantages of SAF utilization. Notably, it exhibited enhancements in local air quality, reductions in persistent contrail formation, and a marked decrease in fuel consumption. Importantly, Flight100 required no modifications to engine, airframe, or fuel infrastructure, maintaining safety standards akin to conventional commercial flights.
Research led by Imperial College London and the University of Sheffield, as part of the project, conducted an assessment of SAF’s climate impacts. Their findings corroborated the reduction of particulate matter emissions by SAF, underscoring its environmental benefits.
The project’s success was facilitated through collaborative endeavors across aviation authorities, chiefly led by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. Dr. Marc Stettler, heading the Imperial team, hailed Flight100 as a pivotal demonstration of SAF’s potential and urged for its accelerated deployment to mitigate aviation’s climate impact.
“The UK government has recently committed to achieving at least 10% SAF in the UK aviation fuel mix by 2030. While this is a promising step, our research suggests that we could also significantly address the effects on contrails by intelligently allocating this fuel to flights that are likely to cause significant warming impacts.”
Trial outcomes revealed substantial cuts in CO2 emissions, with 100% SAF enabling a 64% reduction compared to standard flights. Furthermore, there was a noteworthy 40% decrease in non-CO2 emissions and an overall enhancement in fuel burn efficiency, indicating SAF’s potential to curtail fuel consumption.
However, challenges persist in scaling up SAF production to meet the demands of regular long-haul flights. Virgin Atlantic has called for continued collaboration within the industry and advocated for government support to establish a robust SAF industry in the UK.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, emphasized SAF as the primary mid-term solution for reducing carbon emissions in aviation. To meet their goal of incorporating 10% SAF by 2030, substantial scaling up of production is imperative, necessitating governmental support and private investment in alignment with the Jet Zero policy.
He said, “Flight100 proves that SAF reduces CO2 and can be used at 100%, with benefits in fuel efficiency and local air quality. SAF is the only mid-term solution to reduce our carbon emissions, but to meet our target of 10% by 2030 we need a scale up of 60x current UK SAF production.”
“Government must step in to support by attracting private investment and deliver on its Jet Zero policy. Flight100 proves that if enough SAF is made, we will fly it.”