United Airlines is expanding its use of Sustainable Air Fuel, this time lifting fuel from Chicago O’Hare International.
SAF producer Neste will provide up to 1 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to United at ORD in 2024 with the first supply arriving in August. Deliveries will continue throughout 2024.
The move will mark O’Hare as the fifth airport where United Airlines has purchased SAF for operational use
Other airports that United Airlines lifts SAF from include Los Angeles, San Francisco, London Heathrow, and Amsterdam.
This has been helped in no small part by the State of Illinois, which offers SAF tax credits.
Sustainable Air Fuel is an alternative to conventional jet fuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% on a lifecycle basis, as it is made from renewable materials, rather than classic fossil fuels.
It’s something a lot of airlines are pinning their hopes on, as it acts very much as a “drop-in” replacement, meaning it can be used right now with existing infrastructure – no changes to fuel systems or aircraft engines required.
In Quotes
Governor of Illinios, JB Pritzker said:
“Since day one as Governor, I’ve committed to making Illinois a national leader in sustainability and clean energy, which is why I was proud to support a nation-leading SAF tax credit last year,”
“Illinois’s position as a hub of innovation with some of the most connected airports in the country perfectly aligns with the work of companies like United to build a more sustainable future for travel and reach our shared goal of zero emissions.”
United Airlines President Brett Hart added
“This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together,”
While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth – SAF at O’Hare was made possible thanks to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives.”
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) concluded
“I’m pleased to see United Airlines making this significant move forward by using sustainable aviation fuel daily in flights from O’Hare,” said.
“One of the most important things we can do to make American aviation more sustainable is increase the supply of SAF. At the federal level, I’ve been pushing for the increased use of SAF, and I’m going to keep pushing to increase the supply of American-grown, American-made SAF, a true win-win solution that supports domestic farmers and blenders while reducing our nation’s carbon footprint.”
Small drops forward
Currently, Sustainable Air Fuel is blended with conventional jet fuel in accordance with current regulatory requirements to be used as fuel for an aircraft, which is how a lot of airlines operate with SAF currently.
There have been tests with 100% fuel in both engines, 100% in one engine and so on, as airlines attempt to understand the impacts of SAF, how it performs and more importantly – the costs.
Because, as we all know, SAF costs a lot more than conventional fuel – to the point other airlines are tacking on a surcharge for it.
With the market needing stimulus and support in tax credits, it’s a way of pushing demand forward.
But there’s still a long way to go before the dreams of a high-SAF environment can be realised.
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