by Elsie Clark | Apr 9, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new process that could significantly cut the cost of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The US-based research team have found a method of turning ethanol into jet fuel components in a single step, radically simplifying a process that usually requires multiple stages. Off the back of this discovery, Biofuel company Gevo are licensing the technology from ORNL to test the process on a larger scale.
Andrew Sutton, senior scientist in the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL, said:
This partnership will streamline the transition of ORNL’s catalyst technologies from lab scale to pilot-scale reactors. By demonstrating industrial viability, our goal is to accelerate the commercialisation of this technology in the US, boosting global competitiveness and domestic production of aviation fuel.
SAF is derived from plant- or waste-based feedstocks. From these materials, ethanol is then converted to olefins, which are in turn transformed into fuel. By developing a one-step method for turning ethanol into olefins, ORNL could significantly accelerate the efficiency of SAF production while also reducing costs.
Many aviation industry calculations for net zero rest on the assumption that SAF will scale to meet commercial demand. As air travel only increases in popularity, finding innovative ways to boost production fast are critical to mitigating climate change. Industry body IATA has warned that aviation needs to build momentum on SAF or airlines risk falling well short of their sustainability targets.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Mar 18, 2026 | Sustainability
The UK’s ‘Jet Zero’ taskforce have published their first annual report after the government introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) targets at the beginning of 2025.
The mandate sets guidelines for achieving 10% SAF blending by 2030. Supported by a Revenue Certainty Mechanism and a £63 million Advanced Fuels Fund, aviation minister Keir Mather said at the Sustainable Skies World Summit that the progress made so far was ‘encouraging’. He added:
We must be clear eyed that there is still a long way to go on this journey and there are real challenges ahead but there are enormous opportunities too.
The green transition is not only about protecting our planet but also about strengthening our economy and our resilience. In an uncertain world, energy security has never been more important and that is why we must keep building momentum, boosting the production and deployment of SAF, backing technological renovation, improving efficiency and building robust carbon markets.
Alongside scaling SAF, the UK government is expanding the Hydrogen Challenge programme and launching a £240 million fund for next-generation aerospace technologies. Sustainable Aviation also announced a £2 million greenhouse gas removals (GGR) initative alongside the report, with estimates suggesting that the UK’s aviation industry will need 20 to 30 million tonnes of carbon removed each year by 2050.
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, said:
The UK aviation industry is working hard to address its climate impact. Scaling Greenhouse Gas Removals is essential for hard-to-abate sectors, and this Advanced Market Signal is the aviation industry acting now to help stimulate the growth of the GGR sector.
We have also made clear today that the aviation industry supports action to address the non-CO₂ impact of aviation. By accelerating research, trials and collaboration, we can deliver practical solutions that reduce aviation’s full climate impact.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
by Elsie Clark | Mar 9, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Equilibrion and Rolls Royce have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop British sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production through nuclear power.
The Rolls Royce small modular reactor (SMR) can support the deployment of cost-effective, sustainable energy. Equilibrion’s proprietary Eq.flight SAF production system, meanwhile, is designed to minimise energy use during the SAF production process. Each Rolls Royce SMR has the potential to produce 160 million litres of SAF a year, representing a significant contribution to the UK’s SAF target, set at 22% of aviation fuel by 2040.
Caroline Longman, Director at Equilibrion, said:
Aviation will only meet its climate commitments if SAF becomes available in large, dependable volumes. Nuclear‑derived fuel production offers the reliability, scalability and low carbon intensity needed to deliver that future. Delivering nuclear‑enabled SAF also creates long‑term, high‑quality employment—each Eq.flight facility has the potential to generate around 10,000 skilled local jobs over its lifetime.
IATA has previously warned that SAF production systems are lagging far behind what is necessary to meet net-zero targets, with supply meeting only 1% of global demand. Nuclear-powered production would not only accelerate the supply chain but lower the carbon footprint of the entire SAF process. Alan Woods, Director of Strategy and Business Development for Rolls-Royce SMR, addded:
Our SMR technology is designed to provide clean, affordable and dependable low‑carbon energy, exactly the qualities required to unlock large‑scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel production. The technical and economic assessment completed with Equilibrion will enable them to demonstrate how nuclear can power one of the most ambitious decarbonisation challenges in aviation.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
by Elsie Clark | Feb 16, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
London Heathrow Airport has set the ambitious target of exceeding the UK government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target by 2% in 2026. This year, regulations stipulate that 3.6% of all aviation fuel used in the UK should be sustainable. However, Heathrow is going further with a 5.6% target, backed by an £80 million fund.
Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026. Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport. SAF is a key lever on aviation’s journey to net zero by 2050, and a key element of Heathrow’s Net Zero Plan. Our incentive delivers real progress today, as well as a future promise for tomorrow.
The initiative forms part of Heathrow’s wider sustainability plans, which will also see it exceed UK government mandates. By 2030, 10% of fuel used in the country must be SAF, but Heathrow plans to scale their targets to achieve 11% SAF use that same year. The £80 million will help make SAF more competitive with traditional kerosene fuels while reducing the cost impact on airlines — a common criticism of existing SAF mandates.
Overall, the plans will see 350,000 tonnes of SAF used at Heathrow in 2026. This results in a carbon saving of approximately 600,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 950,000 economy passengers flying a round-trip between Heathrow and JFK.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Jan 28, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
EcoCeres has launched its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Johor, Malaysia. Growing from Hong Kong, the company’s original facility in Zhangjiagang, China, has made it one of the world’s leading SAF suppliers. The Johor plant will also produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable naphtha, and can ultimately operate at a production capacity of 420,000 tonnes a year.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, said:
The Johor plant is a major step forward for EcoCeres’ regional platform and for Malaysia’s renewable fuel industry.
It also demonstrates our commitment to reliable supply capability and high product quality as customers’ demand for renewable fuel solutions accelerates. This facility supports Malaysia’s transition towards net-zero while strengthening Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional hub for financing and scaling sustainable energy projects, enabling the supply of sustainable fuels to global industries. Our waste-to-fuel technology proves that economic growth and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.
A 2025 report from IATA found that SAF production potential is 100 million tonnes (Mt) short of what is required by 2050. However, additional research from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) found that multiple countries in the region could become net SAF exporters. As well as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have abundant feedstock for supplying the entire Asia-Pacific region, but production needs to scale quickly to meet the demands of airlines and the climate.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
For more like this, see:
You must be logged in to post a comment.