Full Title: Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Author(s): Campbell Howe, Elizabeth Rolfes, Dr. Katelyn O’Dell, Dr. Brandon McMurtry, Sonali Razdan, and Dr. Anne Otwell
Publisher(s): U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date: November 14, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
SAF is a drop-in jet fuel replacement that is produced through a variety of pathways and results in a reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to fossil jet fuel. A scale-up of domestic SAF production can have positive economic, social, and environmental impacts in addition to the benefits associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Certain SAF blends also have the potential to reduce air pollution surrounding airport communities and reduce contrails, the latter of which also warms the climate.
In September 2021, the U.S. set an ambitious target to scale domestic SAF production through the SAF Grand Challenge. Eligible SAF under the SAF Grand Challenge must achieve a minimum 50% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil jet fuel. A consortium of U.S. federal agencies committed to supporting the research, development, demonstration, and deployment needed to produce 35 billion gallons of SAF per year domestically by 2050. This 35-billion-gallon target represents 100% of projected U.S. jet fuel demand in 2050.
There is growing momentum for SAF production. Currently announced domestic projects represent over three billion gallons of annual SAF production capacity—correlating with $44 billion of announced investment—by 2030. However, total U.S. production volume will depend on factors including federal and state policy decisions, airline commitments, and demand for alternative low-carbon fuels (like renewable diesel) that use the same or similar feedstocks. The more certain demand comes from abroad. By 2030, current and proposed foreign mandates could require over two billion gallons of SAF consumption globally. For SAF to reach liftoff in the United States, action is needed to build upon this early supply-side momentum, capitalize on existing or proposed foreign mandates, and build domestic demand.