LONDON – Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has agreements to purchase 5.6 million gallons (21.2 million liters) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by Neste to support its U.S. commercial operations through 2023. These agreements more than double the company’s SAF procurement level from last year.
The manufacturer will utilise this sustainable fuel for its ecoDemonstrator testing programme as well as for its commercial sites in Washington and South Carolina.
SAF fuel procurement
The purchase agreements include supply of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ which is blended with conventional jet fuel at a 30/70 ratio to produce the blended SAF.
Neste fuel is made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as cooking oil and animal fat waste, and meets strict sustainability criteria.
EPIC Fuels and Signature Aviation company will provide 2.3 million gallons and Avfuel will supply 300,000 gallons of this blended SAF for the Boeing ecoDemonstrator flight test program and the company’s commercial sites in Washington state and South Carolina.
The book-and-claim process
The US aircraft manufacturer is also purchasing an additional 3 million gallons of the same blended SAF from EPIC Fuels and Signature Aviation, generating emissions reduction credits for commercial deliveries, Dreamlifter and executive flights.
These benefits are generated by a book-and-claim process that displaces petroleum jet fuel with SAF in fueling systems outside the company’s fuel supply.
“We are demonstrating our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and catalyze the SAF industry,” said Sheila Remes, Boeing vice president of Environmental Sustainability.
“This SAF procurement makes up 25% of Boeing’s total jet fuel needs for last year including our production, delivery, Boeing ecoDemonstrator, and Dreamlifter flights, and we aim to increase that portion in the years to come.”
100% SAF by 2030
In 2021, Boeing committed to deliver its commercial airplanes capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030.
SAF reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 80% over the fuel’s life cycle with the potential to reach 100% in the future and is widely recognized as offering the greatest potential to decarbonize aviation over the next 20 to 30 years.
Made from several feedstocks, it is certified for commercial use and can currently be blended up to 50% with traditional jet fuel without modifications to airplanes, engines or fueling infrastructure.
Key milestones
Since the formulation of the “100% SAF by 2030” initiative some two years ago, Boeing has moved into a phase of collaboration with industry stakeholders including engine manufacturers, suppliers and SAF producers.
Listed amongst Boeing’s key milestones to enable the transition to sustainable fuel are:
February 2023: Boeing announced a pivotal testing milestone – the development of jet reference fluids to enable SAF compatibility testing to help fulfill the company’s commitment to producing 100% SAF-capable airplanes.
In 2019: Boeing began offering customers the option to power commercial delivery flights with SAF to demonstrate commitment to reducing CO2 and further spur the use of cleaner fuels.
In 2018: the Boeing ecoDemonstrator made the industry’s first commercial airplane test flight with 100% SAF in both engines of a 777 Freighter in partnership with FedEx.
Boeing originally made the initial test flights with sustainable fuel in 2008. It enabled approval for commercial use in 2011 and for aircraft delivery flights in 2012.
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