Advanced BioFuels USA

(U.S. Department of Energy) Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is striving to bring more low- and zero-net-carbon sustainable aviation fuel to the market. The equivalent of 30,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—that’s how much jet fuel the United States consumes in a typical year.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. airline carriers consumed over 20 billion gallons of petroleum-based jet fuel in 2019. With a growing population and increasing demand for goods from around the world, that volume is projected to grow over the next several decades.

So, when we talk about decarbonizing the aviation sector, increasing supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is often at the center of the discussion.

Why Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

SAF is a highly polished hydrocarbon fuel with precise properties to enable safe, reliable flight, but with a fraction of the carbon footprint.

Because SAF is made from a wide range of renewable biomass and waste resource, the fuel can net deep reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For example, SAF made from wet waste—a low-cost resource that includes food waste, animal manure, and sewage sludge—can have a carbon footprint some 165% smaller than petroleum-based jet fuel by keeping waste from rotting and releasing methane and CO₂ emissions in a landfill.

This makes SAF an effective technical solution for drawing down aviation GHGs. The Biden-Harris Administration has set bold but achievable goals to increase SAF production to at least 3 billion gallons per year by 2030. It aims even higher in the long run: 35 billion gallons by mid-century, enough to cover 100% of projected aviation demand.

With big fuel volumes at play and a growing urgency to comprehensively tackle the climate crisis, a robust research strategy is essential for meeting these goals.

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Strategy 1: Rapidly Develop and Scale Biorefining Processes for Making Drop-In, Net-Zero-Emission SAF

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NREL and its industry partners use applied science to turn that rigorous timeline into an achievable milestone. At the center of this work are net-zero-emission biofuels designed to be 100% compatible with existing aircraft.

Known as “drop-in” fuels by the industry, these SAFs are chemically very similar to conventional jet fuel. They can be used in the same pipelines, the same storage tanks, and the same engines as today’s fuels. This allows airlines to seamlessly integrate the fuel with current operations and infrastructure—no costly delays required.

NREL scientists and analysts are inventing new production pathways to meet demand for drop-in SAFs:

• Characterizing and taking stock of the nation’s potential 1 billion tons of biomass and waste resources— “fuel feedstocks” that can be sustainably harvested each year to make biofuel
• Developing and demonstrating highly efficient, stable, and cost-effective refining processes for transforming those resources into highly polished fuel
• Analyzing the economic and environmental impact of making large amounts of SAF at scale.

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Strategy 2: Design Resilient Biorefineries That Can Flex With Changing Feedstock Supplies

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NREL researchers demonstrate SAF processes in real time, revealing how to “bolt” them onto existing production facilities, making it easier for companies to integrate the technology. For example, a recent NREL study demonstrates how to co-process bio-oils with petroleum at existing refineries.

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Strategy 3: Build Strong, Diverse Coalitions   READ MORE