UCO to SAF – trying to erase the carbon footprint of airline travel

SAF – sustainable aviation fuel is being demanded by airlines globally as it looks reduce its climate footprint and achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In 2024 global production of SAF is set to reach approximately 0.5 billion gallons (6 fold increase since 2022) but it is still only 0.5% of the 99 billion gallon annual burn rate for jet fuel.

The PBS Newshour report below looks at the use of harvesting used cooking oil (UCO) which contains hydrocarbons and can be refined into SAF. Also the fast-growing perennial grass plant miscanthus giganteus, as a source for sustainable aviation fuel. The arguments for this perennial grass are:

• it thrives on marginal land in cold climates

• it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel and has the potential to be carbon negative, without the need for additional CO2 capture technology.  

• it can store roughly half of the carbon it removes from the air below ground.

• it builds extensive root and microbial systems that enrich soil, reduce water and soil runoff, and improve nutrient retention.

“Getting back to our roots using contemporary carbon to base our society, instead of fossil carbon, is a choice that we need to make if we are to persist on this planet.” Professor Emily Heaton, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois

Although this is positive news, there is still a long way to go if the airline industry is to reach its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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