Boeing makes its largest-ever sustainable aviation fuel purchase

by AvioBlog · 17 Aprile 2024

Boeing has announced its largest-ever purchase of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company has committed to buying 9.4 million gallons (35.6 million liters) of blended SAF to support its 2024 US commercial operations, to reduce its carbon emissions, and as part of the planemaker’s mission to help increase the supply of SAF products globally.

This latest purchase represents the company’s largest-ever annual SAF purchase, 60% more than its total SAF purchases in 2023.

The blended fuel comprises 30% SAF made from waste by-products such as fats, oils, and greases, with the balance (70%) made up of conventional aviation jet fuel. The most recent SAF purchase will support the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program and Boeing US commercial operational flights, including demonstration and test flights.

Unblended (or ‘neat’) SAF can reduce carbon emissions up to 85% over the fuel’s life cycle and offers the commercial aviation industry its best hope for reducing its climate impact over the next 30 years. However, the large-scale production of SAF is being hindered by a global lack of manufacturing plants to produce it.

Ryan Faucett, vice president of environmental sustainability at Boeing, 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.”

Under the terms of the new purchase agreements, signed by Boeing with two SAF suppliers, the company will receive four million gallons of blended SAF directly into its own fuel farms based in the Pacific Northwest in the US. EPIC Fuels (part of the Signature Aviation Group) will supply 2.5 million gallons produced by Finland-based petroleum refiner Neste, while Avfuel will provide 1.5 million gallons of blended SAF from Neste.

Boeing will also purchase the carbon dioxide emissions reduction credits associated with an additional 5.4 million gallons of blended SAF through an accounting process called ‘book-and-claim’. This is a program whereby a company purchasing SAF certificates that it will displace conventional jet fuel. Instead of putting the fuel into a Boeing fuel farm, distributors will deliver it to nearby airports for use by airlines and other air operators.

Through Boeing’s book-and-claim purchases, EPIC Fuels will supply 3.5 million gallons of blended SAF made by Neste, while World Fuel Services will supply 1.9 million gallons from World Energy.