The aviation industry reached a milestone last week with the first transatlantic flight using entirely SAF, or sustainable aviation fuel, a form of biofuel designed to dramatically reduce the substantial carbon emissions needed to fly.
At the moment, SAF has a long way to go to become a more viable alternative to standard jet fuel, due to high production costs and the enormous amount of biomass needed, but we know from our experience in ground transportation that this proof of concept is an important first step. As more attention and resources are devoted to the fuel, the production of the fuel will decrease in cost and chemistry improvements will increase its efficiency. While other technologies such as lithium batteries or liquid hydrogen may be more effective in decarbonizing aviation in the long run, SAF has the benefit that it can be used in existing jet engines, just like how the biofuel at our station can be used in standard diesel engines.
We’re excited to see the development of carbon-free flying, but in the meantime, contribute to lower carbon travel by filling your tank at Dogpatch Biofuels.