Sustainable Aviation Fuels

While air travel has transformed global connectivity, it remains one of the most carbon-intensive modes of transportation and one of the hardest sectors to abate. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), low-carbon alternatives to conventional fossil-based jet fuels, are widely recognized as an essential pathway to reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector. SAFs can be derived through various pathways, including the conversion of agricultural feedstocks into biofuels and the production of synthetic fuels using captured carbon dioxide. While several companies produce SAFs at small scales, significant challenges related to cost-effectiveness, scalability, and technical efficiency persist. Matteo Muratori (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) will moderate a conversation between Jennifer Holmgren (LanzaTech) and Michael Wolcott (Washington State University) that will explore current and emerging technological pathways for producing SAFs, the life-cycle carbon intensity of these options, and opportunities and barriers to scaling up the SAF supply to meet global emissions reduction targets.