May_2021 - 11

INDUSTRY EXPERT
COLUMN

to encourage and incentivize the use of
renewable fuels instead of fossil fuels.

Solutions to Address the
Problems of Today

Across the board, airlines recognize sustainable aviation fuels as one of the key
elements to achieve their climate goals.
Sustainable aviation fuel, broadly, refers
to jet fuel that is produced from renewable
feedstocks instead of crude oil. There are a
variety of possible feedstocks for sustainable
aviation fuel, including used cooking oil, tallow, energy crops, agricultural and forestry
residues and municipal solid waste.
The Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel
available in North America, for example,
is made primarily from waste and residue
materials such as used cooking oil. In
fact, Neste is collecting and turning used
cooking oil from concessionaires at airports, like Dallas Fort Worth and Chicago
O'Hare, into renewable fuels. This creates
a circular economy, where the waste from
airports can help power aircraft.
Sustainable aviation fuel is a " drop-in "
fuel, which means that it works seamlessly
with existing aircraft engines, fueling systems and infrastructure.
Because of this, sustainable aviation fuel
can immediately reduce direct greenhouse
gas emissions and pollution from aircraft.
Neste MY Sustainable Aviation fuel, for
example, has the potential to reduce emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil
jet fuel on a lifecycle basis.
Besides offering lower lifecycle carbon
emissions, SAF usage lowers direct emissions of air pollutants, such as sulfur and
particulate matter, for ground handling
support and supports regional economic
development through locally sited circular
economic supply chain elements.
Currently, regulations require that sustainable aviation fuel is blended with fossil
jet fuel, up to a 50-50 ratio. The blending ratio will ultimately determine the
actual emissions reductions realized. Once
blended, the fuel mixture meets the ASTM
specifications.
The blending requirement ensures that
sustainable aviation fuel works safely with
older aircraft engines. However, the aviation industry is researching how sustain-

able aviation fuel can be used in its pure
form to power aircraft in the future.
Importantly, the sustainable aviation
fuel industry is making it easier for customers to access the fuel.
Last year, Neste began supplying sustainable aviation fuel to San Francisco
International Airport, with American
Airlines, Alaska Airlines, DHL and JetBlue
committing to using the fuel. Additionally,
Signature Flight Support has supplied more
than 1 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to its FBO at the San
Francisco International Airport.
Globally, more than 40 airlines now have
sustainable aviation fuel experience, with an
estimated 200,000 commercial flights using
SAF since 2011 and 1.6 billion gallons of SAF
committed to forward purchase agreements.

The Future is Sustainable

Neste sees significant growth potential for
renewable fuels in the aviation market.
Demand is there - from airlines, business
aviation and end customers.

That is why Neste has invested to achieve
515 million gallons of sustainable aviation
fuel production capacity by 2023, 15-times
more than its current production capacity.
The company has also entered into strategic partnerships to increase the availability of sustainable aviation fuel in the US.
For business aviation, Neste is partnering
with Avfuel and Signature Flight Support
to make Neste MY Sustainable Aviation
Fuel to business aviation.
The future of air travel is clear: It will
pick back up, be sustainable and increasingly
run on SAF. Air travel allows us to have a
globalized economy, connect with nature
and experience diverse destinations, so it's
critical we work together to get more planes
running on SAF instead of fossil jet fuel.
Air travel plays an important role in our
economy and lives, connecting people and
cultures as well as supporting global supply
chains. As more people become vaccinated
and planes begin to take off again, today is
the time to truly invest in the adoption of
SAF to finally spread its wings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pratik Chandhoke is the technical services manager for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(SAF) at Neste, the world's largest producer of renewable diesel and SAF. Chandhoke's
responsibilities include technical management and customer support for use of Neste
MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel in North America. Prior to joining Neste in 2017, he
worked for 10 years at Rolls Royce in various roles. Chandhoke holds an MBA and
Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.

MAY 2021

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

May_2021

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