The next generation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAFs) could be made from wood and grass—and not just waste cooking oil and palm oil – with South Korean scientists revealing the first example of forest-based SAFs suitable for long-range aviation.
Led by Ha Jeong-Myeong and Yu Chun-Jae, both from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Clean Energy Research Center, the new SAFs have properties similar to petroleum-based jet fuel – and can run for up to 100 hours, even in the presence of impurities.
“SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional petroleum-based aviation fuel,” Ha said. “This technology expands the resource base for aviation fuel production by enabling the use of non-food resources like wood and grass, and thus moving beyond the current reliance on editable materials.”
Published in Energy Conversion and Management, Wood Central understands that previous attempts to produce SAF from wood and grass had yielded compounds more similar to gasoline, which are unsuitable for aviation. However, Ha’s team overcame this roadblock by introducing additional decarbonisation and polymerisation reactions to the oils extracted from wood and grass during decomposition.
According to Ha, the new fuel contains most of the high-energy components essential for aviation fuel, including naphthenes and aromatics. When mixed with existing SAFs, it could ultimately replace all petroleum-based aviation fuels.
Are green flight Paths the key to sustainable aviation?
A hot topic of discussion at COP29, green flight paths between key global locations could help fast-track fully decarbonised aviation, according to research led by an international team based at Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom and the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
The research, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s top international journal, Energy and Environmental Science, recommends that a small number of long-haul flights with high passenger volumes, such as London to Dubai, could be the key to cleaning up aviation.
Dubai and London Heathrow airports are two of the busiest airports in the world and the first and second highest ranked in terms of CO₂ emissions from international flights and total international passengers. Heathrow is already a world leader in SAF ambition and is working towards incorporating 11% of SAF into its overall fuel usage by 2030.
“The UAE and UK are both highly dependent on long-haul flights, so have a compelling opportunity to lead the establishment of green flight paths, to demonstrate and deploy sustainable aviation fuels,” according to Professor Steve Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at the American University of Sharjah. “Establishing green flight paths has the potential to not only drive decarbonisation of the aviation sector but also lead to international cooperation for the development of SAF.”
“The concept of green flight paths is inspired by green shipping corridors, which are paving the way for net-zero shipping,” said Professor John Andresen, a chemical engineer at Heriot-Watt University. “A similar framework for prioritising long-haul flight segments is becoming increasingly urgent to drive the global production and use of net-zero SAF technologies.”
- To learn more about the push to use forest and woody waste to create SAF, click here for Wood Central’s special report.
