Heathrow Hopes To Triple Its SAF Deployment

This year, the airport in London hopes to treble the amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) it uses.

Last year, the airport began a SAF incentive system that would pay for up to half of the airlines' increased fuel costs. IAG, the parent company of British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air France, KLM, and JetBlue are all part of the programme.

Heathrow said that the project was oversubscribed in 2022 and that they want to increase the quantity of SAF delivered this year to around 1.5% of the total fuel consumed at the facility. Achieving this would be a significant step towards its goal of employing 11% SAF by 2030.

Airlines are mandated to utilise at least 10% SAF by 2030, and a "price assistance system" is proposed to help offset the price gap between SAF and conventional jet fuel.

The aiport’s CEO John Holland-Kaye stated:

“Sustainable aviation fuel is not just about protecting the benefits of aviation in a net zero world - it’s about economic opportunity, creating jobs here in the UK and securing the country’s future energy supplies. Heathrow is now probably the biggest user of SAF in the world but it is currently all imported.

“If Britain really wants to compete with the scale of ambition and the credible action seen from the US and Europe, supportive government policy is needed and it is needed now.”

The airport has also requested that the British government inject speed into the growth of SAF by supporting policy decisions, as today, the fuel's high price and limited manufacturing volume prevent it from being used more widely.

SAF, which is made from by-products like vegetable oil and animal fat, may be utilised in the same aircraft engines as regular jet fuel while reducing emissions by up to 80%. In BTN Europe's 2023 Hotlist, the propellant was included as one of the industry's most significant new advancements.

 

Source: businesstravelnewseurope.com