The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sees more airlines shifting to sustainable aviation fuel SAF) as demand for jet fuel slowly returns to pre-pandemic level.
(This) provid(es) much opportunity for SAF as a better fuel for decarbonization,” said in a report dated Jan. 17, 2023.
SAF is an environmentally sustainable alternative to fossil jet fuel which can also be sourced from a variety of materials including used vegetable oils, household waste, waste gases, animal fats, forestry residue and even carbon dioxide captured directly from the air.
Cebu Pacific started to use SAF in its Airbus 320neo in May 2022. It took delivery of its ninth aircraft using SAF on January 1.
Cebu Pacific also seeks to further utilize SAF by launching “green routes” in three years.
Philippine Airlines is also working toward developing sustainable fuel for its airline fleet as the company supports the zero-emission initiative of the (International Air Transportation Association.
SAF can be used as a direct replacement for fossil jet fuel as it is chemically similar and can be safely mixed with regular jet fuel to varying degrees and is proven to be compatible with existing jet engines and fueling infrastructure, requiring no additional investment while also not causing any negative impact on performance or maintenance.
SAF also reduces the carbon intensity of air travel by up to 80 percent over its life cycle.
“In the Philippines, aviation fuel consumption reached its peak of 2.8 billion liters in 2019.
When Covid-19 pandemic disrupted transportation in 2020, jet fuel consumption went down by 65 percent and continued to slow down in 2021. From a 10 percent share in total consumption in 2019, aviation fuel went down to only four percent share in 2021,” the report said.
“The aviation industry started to recover in 2022 and demand for jet fuel is on its way to reach the pre-pandemic level providing much opportunity for SAF as a better fuel for decarbonization,” the USDA added.
The USDA expressed optimism with the wider use of SAF in the Philippines as Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. recently established a new subsidiary for its waste-to-fuel project being developed in partnership with US-based WasteFuel Global which is a SAF start-up aiming to have its first biorefinery in the country.
WasteFuel Philippines is evaluating the feasibility of putting up a $600 million biorefinery in Luzon that would convert one million metric tons of municipal waste into 30 million gallons of SAF annually.
The USDA said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization to address aviation’s impact on the environment is also expected to further push the use of SAF.
However, SAF is not specifically mentioned in the Renewable Energy Act and Biofuels Act of the Philippines to which the Department of Energy can play a role in its wider spread utilization. -Jed Macapagal
