Low-carbon fuel producer Aemetis announced a multi-year partnership with International Airlines Group (IAG) to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Aer Lingus and British Airways aircraft operating out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Under the agreement, which will come into effect in 2025, the parent company of both airlines will purchase a total of 78.400 tonnes of SAF over a seven-year period. British Airways said the move would enable a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of up to 248.000 tonnes.
The fuel will be produced at the Aemetis Carbon Zero plant, which the company is currently developing in Riverbank, California, approximately 150 kilometres from San Francisco. The facility will run on electricity produced entirely from renewable sources. It will also have carbon sequestration mechanisms during the production process to achieve a significant decrease in the carbon intensity of the fuel.
“SAF is key to decarbonising aviation,” said Jonathon Counsell, Head of Sustainability at IAG. He noted that the company “has to date committed 865 million dollars in sustainable fuel purchases and investments”. “We see great potential to develop a long-term partnership with Aemetis who is at the cutting edge of producing low carbon biofuels from sustainable wastes”, he added.
Global air traffic is expected to double in the next fifteen years and, consequently, emissions related to the sector will increase. Many possible solutions, such as electrification, are still in the early stages of development. In this context, alternatives available in the short term, such as sustainable aviation fuels, become relevant.
The production and supply of such products is still in its infancy in relation to current needs. The main problem nowadays is the short supply in relation to the total global demand for aviation fuel. However, the industry is working to increase its availability and thus reduce costs.
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