Boeing has today announced their largest-ever purchase of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with the company buying 9.4 million gallons for their ecoDemonstrator Program and 2024 U.S. commercial operations.
On Tuesday (April 16, 2024), Boeing announced the purchase of 9.4 million gallons (35.6 million liters) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), their largest purchase of SAF to date. The fuel will be produced by Neste and World Energy, and will be supplied by EPIC Fuels, World Fuel Services and Avfuel to support Boeing’s 2024 commercial operations. The blended fuel, comprised of 30 percent SAF, will be made from waste by-products such as fats, oils, and greases, and then blended with 70 percent conventional jet fuel. The SAF will then be used to support Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program and Boeing U.S. commercial operational flights.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Boeing’s Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, Ryan Faucett, said,
“As our focus remains on safety and quality, sustainability continues to be a priority. Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to decarbonize aviation. 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. We are also working to make SAF more available and affordable to our commercial airline customers through collaboration, investment, research and policy development.”
On a lifecycle basis, unblended or ‘neat’ SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 85 percent, and currently offers the aviation industry the greatest potential to reduce its climate impact over the next 30 years. Boeing will receive 4.0 million gallons of blended SAF into their fuel farms in the Pacific Northwest. EPIC Fuels, a Signature Aviation Company, will deliver 2.5 million gallons from Neste, and Avfuel will provide 1.5 million gallons of blended SAF from Neste.
Additionally, Boeing will purchase the CO2 emissions reduction associated with 5.4 million gallons of blended SAF through the ‘book-and-claim’ accounting process, which involves purchasing SAF certificates to offset conventional jet fuel. The fuel represented by the SAF certificates will then be delivered to nearby airports for use by airlines and other carriers. Under this scheme, Epic Fuels will supply 3.5 million gallons of blended SAF produced by Neste, while World Fuel Services, a World Kinect company, will supply an additional 1.9 million gallons from World Energy.
Source: Boeing