Jet Aviation Launches SAF Book-and-Claim Program

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December 09, 2021

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by Curt Epstein (AIN Online) Through its newly-launched book and claim program, Jet Aviation will be able to provide its customers with sustainable aviation fuel usage credits, even at its locations where SAF is not currently available. -- Jet Aviation has partnered with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider SkyNRG to launch its book-and-claim service. Book-and-claim will allow more SAF usage throughout the entire system by enabling aircraft operators who choose to use the renewable fuel to purchase it even where it is not physically present, with the actual fuel being dispensed at another location—typically near an SAF production center—to a different aircraft.

The volume of SAF in the transaction is tracked and verified and the carbon emissions reduction credits are assigned to the purchaser of the fuel rather than to the aircraft owner that receives it. This process ensures the environmental benefits are properly accounted for, including the avoidance of unnecessary fuel transportation, which could result in diminishing the SAF’s lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions. Jet Aviation offers continuous supplies of SAF at its FBO at California’s Van Nuys Airport and this week announced it will do the same at its Amsterdam Schiphol location in the Netherlands. READ MORE

Jet Aviation, SkyNRG partner on SAF book-and-claim service (Jet Aviation/Biobased Diesel Daily)

RSB LAUNCHES FIRST SAF BOOK & CLAIM PILOT WITH AIR BP TO ENABLE CERTIFIED SAF CLAIMS FROM MICROSOFT AND UNITED AIRLINES (RSB)

Excerpt from RSB: RSB’s book & claim pilot with Air bp intends to unlock increased supply for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) users and their customers, including United Airlines and Microsoft. Microsoft is joining the pilot to purchase SAF sustainability credits via RSB’s book & claim system to reduce the GHG lifecycle emissions associated with its corporate travel. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), a joint initiative of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and RMI, is advising on the design of the book and claim system and collaborating with RSB on the development of an electronic registry to transparently record SAF lifecycle emission reductions transactions.

In this pilot which is currently being worked by the various parties, Air bp is to supply 7000 gallons (26,500 litres) of waste-based SAF to United at UK airports that achieves an approximately 80% reduction of lifecycle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in comparison to the fossil fuel it replaces. These resulting emission reductions will be claimed by Microsoft and the transaction will be registered with RSB.

Ensuring credibility in this approach – specifically to make sure that there is no double counting of the environmental benefit – is vital for SAF’s long-term prospects as a tool to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation industry, and its support by the market. RSB has developed a book & claim system, grounded in its robust requirements for traceability and subject to third party audits and verification, to guarantee full traceability and mitigate the risk of double counting.

The feedback and input of RSB’s multi-stakeholder membership – representing industry, civil society, academia, and more – on the book & claim pilot project will be key to ensuring credibility and broad support of the book & claim system going forward.

This pilot is a demonstration size that is part of a larger agreement between United and Microsoft. Microsoft has made a commitment to sourcing future fuels from only RSB-certified supply chains through their SAF criteria which considers issues of land use, traceability, feedstock sourcing, and more. This is a clear signal to the SAF industry that brands and end users are going to be looking for fuel that not only provides emission reductions, but that robust and credible sustainability credentials are going to be vital.

As Microsoft announced their participation Carbon Program Manager Elizabeth Willmott, had this to say, “Sustainable aviation fuel is a critical strategy to decarbonize aviation, and a healthy market for SAF in the future depends on clear carbon accounting rules today. We need to ensure transparency and credibility for any environmental claims for sustainable aviation fuel purchases. This pilot offers a promising opportunity to do just that.”

With United providing a vital bridge between Microsoft and the fuel from Air bp, their participation is showcasing how airlines can help to bring meaningful benefits, in the form credible and traceable emission reductions, to their corporate customers. “Successful decarbonization partnerships require transparency and trust,” said Lauren Riley, United’s managing director of global environmental affairs and sustainability. “With this project, we are making transparency and trust easier, enabling future partnerships that will help create a sustainable future for commercial aviation.

Elena Schmidt, RSB’s Executive Director, who has been driving the development of RSB’s approach to book & claim with the RSB team for several years has added, “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Microsoft and United’s participation on this exciting pilot project with Air bp. Their participation in the project really highlights how this innovative approach can add real value for companies who are setting ambitious goals on decarbonisation – taking the pilot into the real world. Microsoft’s commitment to sourcing RSB-certified fuel is a fantastic example of how companies can use their buying power to drive positive impacts, even outside their own direct supply chains!”

Kelley Kizzier, Vice President of Global Climate for Environmental Defense Fund, which co-leads SABA, noted, “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel is a considerable challenge for companies and for the world. To face it, we need companies and airlines to show leadership, model transparency, and hold themselves to high sustainability standards. The pilot that Microsoft and United Airlines are undertaking is an example of the leadership we need to achieve widespread adoption of high-integrity SAF. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance looks forward to applying the lessons learned from this pilot to the development of an electronic book and claim registry, alongside RSB, so that more air transport customers can benefit.”

Bryan Fisher, managing director of RMI’s Climate-Aligned Industries program and co-leader of SABA, shares, “This Book and claim system is a game changer for the SAF market. Just like early solar and wind electricity renewable electricity credits, virtual ownership of SAF’s environmental attributes can accelerate the technology by unlocking new payers and their resources.”

About RSB

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) is an international, multi-stakeholder, independent organisation that supports the just and sustainable transition to a global bio-based and circular economy through sustainability solutions, certification, innovation and collaborative partnerships.

With credible solutions, global expertise, partners across the spectrum from government to industry and NGOs, and an extremely robust approach to sustainability, RSB is the partner of choice for the bioeconomy as it seeks to combat climate change while also ensuring social development and environmental protection.

About SABA

The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) is an alliance of aviation customers, airlines, and environmental organizations dedicated to accelerating the path to net-zero aviation, driving investment in and adoption of high-integrity sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and supporting companies in achieving their climate goals. SABA’s founding companies include Bank of America, Boeing, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, McKinsey & Company, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix and Salesforce. SABA’s Founding Aviators group includes Alaska Airlines, Amazon Air, JetBlue and United Airlines. SABA is managed by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and RMI, with expert support from ENGIE Impact serving as SABA’s Secretariat.

What is Book & Claim?

Book & Claim is a solution that enables organisations, whether airlines or their traveller/shipper customers, to purchase SAF lifecycle emissions reductions without being geographically tied to a SAF production site. Essentially it enables airlines to purchase “SAF Credits” on top of their conventional fuel, paying the premium for SAF to the SAF producer, who then sells their SAF as conventional fuel. This solves the issue of the often vast distances between SAF supply (a production facility) and demand (an airline fulfilling its mandated and voluntary sustainability commitments).

While the customer is not flying on SAF, the funding of its purchase demonstrates market demand and supports the development of SAF supply globally. In turn the customer can claim the lifecycle emissions reduction associated with this SAF purchase funding towards their voluntary greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction goals.

So that this process is managed in a way that reduces the risk of fraud, a Book & Claim registry is used to trace transactions and ensure they are credible, traceable and do not lead to double counting of the GHG benefit by multiple parties. The SAF supplier ‘books’ their SAF into the registry, where it is then ‘claimed’ by a customer. A robust traceability system that guarantees full transparency and zero risk of fraud is essential to ensure the system can be widely supported by the market — which is why the registry is managed independently by a trusted partner. READ MORE