Airbus, Pratt & Whitney and SAF+ Consortium will collaborate on the development of next-generation sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the province of Quebec, Canada. The companies will be supported by the local government.

The parties will contribute a total investment of more than 17 million Canadian dollars to develop the project known as CADAQ-100.

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Airbus, Pratt & Whitney and SAF+ Consortium to collaborate on key SAF research and test areas

The companies will collaborate in key areas of sustainable fuels research and testing. From their joint work, they will conduct flight tests with blends of up to 100% SAF in an Airbus A220 powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.

They will also assess the feasibility of establishing a commercial e-SAF (a type of synthetic fuel derived from renewable energies) production plant in Quebec. Their ultimate goal is to achieve an annual production of up to a hundred million litres by 2028.

The fuel would be produced from power-to-liquid technology, using renewable energy to synthesise captured carbon dioxide emissions with green hydrogen. It would cut emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fuel.

Investment for the near future

«Airbus, alongside many of its customers, is fully committed to expanding the use of SAF, an essential pillar to support the aviation industry’s decarbonization journey», said Benoît Schultz, President and CEO of Airbus Canada.

«Building this new Canadian ecosystem alongside the SAF+ Consortium is a key milestone and example of how Airbus is actively shaping decarbonization discussions in Quebec and Canada while demonstrating our commitment to making SAF an economically viable solution available to our customers and partners globally», he added.

«This collaboration will help accelerate our vision to transform Montreal into a North American sustainable aviation hub, something which we have always known could only be achieved as a cross-industry effort», said Jean Paquin, President and CEO of SAF+ Consortium.

He also stressed that investment in the necessary infrastructure will be key in the near future, when many Canadian airlines expect to receive new aircraft capable of operating on sustainable fuels.

«Collaboration between public and private sectors is critical to achieving our goals, so we welcome this opportunity and the continued support of the Government of Quebec to help expand SAF research and production capabilities in the region», said Edward Hoskin, VP of Engineering at Pratt & Whitney Canada.