Putting the ‘S’ in ‘SAF:’ Innovation Takes Farmers and Ethanol to New Heights

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/RealClearEnergy) ... In the 15 years since the RFS was expanded, the amount of U.S. cropland has continued to shrink, grasslands and forests have increased, and the volume of animal feed grain and exports has risen—all while renewable fuel production has tripled.

How is that possible? Through innovation, greater productivity, and an unwavering commitment from American farmers and biofuel producers to use sustainable practices.

Farmers today grow nearly 20% more corn per acre than they did when the RFS was created. Thus, less land is required to produce the crops needed for renewable fuels. In 2022, farmers planted five million fewer corn acres (an area the size of New Jersey) than they did in 2007, but produced a corn crop that was 5% larger. Meanwhile, ethanol producers squeeze 10% more ethanol out of every bushel of corn than they did 15 years ago.

The compounding effect of these efficiencies enables farmers to use existing cropland to satisfy growing demand for renewable fuels while also continuing to meet stable—or increasing—demands in other markets.

But even with 15 years of real-world data, old myths, and misinformation about biofuels’ growth and “land use change” are coming back around again.

This time the debate is being driven by the potential use of crop-based biofuels to meet future demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a form of jet fuel made from renewable sources that reduces carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to conventional jet fuel.

Only a tiny amount of SAF is being produced today. But the sector is well positioned for takeoff. All major airlines have committed to decarbonizing their fuels, and last year’s Inflation Reduction Act created tax credits to stimulate production of SAF. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has issued the “SAF Grand Challenge,” which calls on the industry to produce three billion gallons of SAF by 2030.

The ambitious goals of the airline industry and administration can be met. But it requires a broad portfolio of SAF feedstocks and technologies, and fairness and transparency in the methods used for estimating the carbon intensity of different SAF options.

One promising pathway for SAF production is the conversion of ethanol into jet fuel, a process pioneered by innovative companies like Lanzajet, Gevo, Next Wave Energy Partners, and Honeywell. Corn ethanol’s low cost, ample supply, low carbon intensity, and established infrastructure make it an especially attractive candidate for SAF.

But recent talk of new demand and expanded markets for ethanol has some in the environmental community growing skittish again. They are again raising the specter of cropland expansion, even though there is no evidence that the tripling of biofuel output in the last 15 years caused any detectable land conversion. And they are again perpetuating the “feed versus fuel” myth, despite piles of data disproving that canard.

And now they are pushing for SAF tax credits to be administered using a faulty carbon intensity model that would effectively disqualify corn- and soy-based biofuels from eligibility. The methodology favored by environmental groups—a European scheme called the “ICAO model”—dubiously enlarges the carbon footprint of crop-based fuels based on hypothetical emissions tied to theoretical future conversions of grassland and forest.

But just as cropland expansion didn’t occur between 2007 and 2022, it will not occur as airlines increasingly turn to lower-carbon crop-based fuels for aviation. The amount of corn produced per acre will continue to grow as farmers adopt new technologies and regenerative agricultural practices. And the amount of ethanol produced from each bushel will increase further as producers continuously improve efficiencies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s “GREET model” recognizes these efficiency gains, which is why it should be used for determining SAF tax credit eligibility.

The bottom line is this: We take the ‘S’ in ‘SAF’ very seriously. Ethanol producers and corn growers have already proven once that renewable fuel expansion can occur sustainably and responsibly—and we are ready to prove it again. READ MORE