Boeing has announced its largest annual purchase of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to date – 9.4 million gallons to support its 2024 U.S. commercial operations. The buy represents over a 60% increase from the company’s SAF procurement in 2023.
The fuel consists of a 30% blend of SAF derived from waste by-products like fats, oils, and greases mixed with 70% conventional jet fuel. It will be used for Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program flights as well as other U.S. commercial operational flights.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to decarbonize aviation,” said Ryan Faucett, Boeing’s vice president of environmental sustainability. “About 20% of our fuel usage is a SAF blend, and we continue to increase our use of this fuel to encourage growth in the SAF industry.”
Unblended or “neat” SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 85% compared to conventional jet fuel, offering commercial aviation its greatest potential to reduce climate impact over the next 30 years.
Of the 9.4 million gallon purchase, 4 million gallons of the blended fuel will be delivered to Boeing’s fuel farms in the Pacific Northwest by suppliers EPIC Fuels and Avfuel.
The remaining 5.4 million gallons will be obtained through a “book-and-claim” process where Boeing purchases emissions reduction credits while the fuel itself is delivered to nearby airports for use by airlines.
The suppliers for the book-and-claim portion are EPIC Fuels and World Fuel Services, sourcing SAF from producers Neste and World Energy respectively.
Boeing states it is committed to advancing sustainability through increasing SAF availability, investing in research, and supporting policy development in addition to growing its own use of the lower-emission fuel.
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