The British industry sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will receive a £53 million increase, helping to save 2.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
From using forest waste to turning electricity into liquid fuel, 9 pioneering projects helping to create a brighter, cleaner future have received support from £53 million during the last round of Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) from the Department for Transport (DfT). The AFF’s total of £135 million is designed to help businesses convert waste and by-products, such as household waste such as cooking oil and industrial gases, into fuels. It can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.
The winning projects in this round will help create up to 10,000 green jobs by 2035 and boost the economy by around £1.8 billion each year. They include a factory converting sawmill waste and forests and a plant using power-to-liquid technology to convert CO2 and green hydrogen into aircraft fuel. Together, the two projects could create more than 70,000 tonnes of SAF per year. As a result, the Department for Transport assures that the UK could soon have the capacity to produce up to 810,000 tonnes of SAF, enough to make the Earth tour approximately 3,108 times. While the new normal will be to have at least 10% of jet fuel coming from sustainable raw materials by 2030, the AFF is helping to achieve this goal. This will save the industry up to 2.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per year, the equivalent of removing 1,296,468 petrol cars from the road in one year. specifies the DfT.
The announcements from the British ministry come before the first transatlantic flight in the world using 100% SAF on November 28, 2023 (supported by up to £1m of government investment). The Boeing 787 of Virgin Atlanticpowered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK).
