Advanced BioFuels USA

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce SAF on a commercial scale.

An interagency team led by DOE, DOT, and USDA worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other government agencies, and stakeholders from national labs, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the aviation, agricultural, and energy industries to develop the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Report.

The roadmap lays out six action areas spanning all activities with the potential to impact the SAF Grand Challenge objectives of (1) expanding SAF supply and end use, (2) reducing the cost of SAF, and (3) enhancing the sustainability of SAF:

1. Feedstock Innovation
2. Conversion Technology Innovation
3. Building Supply Chains
4. Policy and Valuation Analysis
5. Enabling End Use
6. Communicating Progress and Building Support.

Download the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap: Flight Plan for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Report.  READ MORE

Table of Contents
Disclaimer ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
List of Acronyms …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… vi
Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. vii
SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Overview …………………………………………………………… viii
SAF Grand Challenge Actions and Impact ……………………………………………………………… ix
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. xiii
List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. xv
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. xv
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Urgency of Action ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Roadmap Overview ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Roadmap Approach ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Roadmap Action Areas …………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Feedstock Innovation …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
FI.1. Understand Resource Markets and Availability ………………………………………………. 14
FI.2. Maximize Sustainable Lipid (FOG) Supply for 2030 ………………………………………. 16
FI.3. Increase Production of Purpose-Grown Biomass Resources and Collection of Wastes and Residues ……………………………………………………………………………………. 18
FI.4. Improve Feedstock Supply Logistics …………………………………………………………….. 20
FI.5. Increase Reliability of Feedstock Handling Systems ……………………………………….. 23
FI.6. Improve Sustainability of Biomass and Waste Supply Systems ………………………… 25
Conversion Technology Innovation …………………………………………………………………………………. 28
CT.1. Decarbonize, Diversify, and Scale Current Fermentation-Based Fuel Industry ….. 29
CT.2. Develop Options To Increase Production and Reduce Carbon Intensity of Existing ASTM-Qualified Pathways …………………………………………………………………………… 31
CT.3. Develop Biointermediates and Pathways for Compatibility With Existing Capital Assets …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 34
CT.4. Reduce Risk During Scale-Up and Operations ………………………………………………. 36
CT.5. Develop Innovative Unit Operations and Pathways ……………………………………….. 37
Building Supply Chains …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39
SC.1. Build and Support Regional Stakeholder Coalitions Through Outreach, Extension, and Education ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 40

SC.2. Model SAF Supply Chains …………………………………………………………………………. 43
SC.3. Demonstration of SAF Supply Chains ………………………………………………………….. 44
SC.4. Invest in SAF Production Infrastructure To Support Industry Deployment ……….. 47
Policy and Valuation Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
PA.1. Develop Improved Environmental Models and Data for SAF …………………………. 49
PA.2. Conduct Techno-Economic and Production Potential Analysis ……………………….. 52
PA.3. Inform SAF Policy Development ………………………………………………………………… 54
Enabling End Use …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 57
EU.1. Support SAF Evaluation, Testing, Qualification, and Specification …………………. 58
EU.2. Enable Use of Drop-In Unblended SAF and SAF Blends up to 100% ……………… 59
EU.3. Investigate Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuels Offering Performance or Producibility Advantages ……………………………………………………………………………… 61
EU.4. Integrate SAF Into Fuel Distribution Infrastructure ……………………………………….. 62
Communicating Progress and Building Support………………………………………………………………… 64
CP.1. Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement on Feedstock Sustainability ………………… 65
CP.2. Conduct Benefits Assessment/Impact Analysis of SAF Grand Challenge …………. 66
CP.3. Measure Progress of the SAF Grand Challenge …………………………………………….. 67
CP.4. Communicate Public Benefits of the SAF Grand Challenge ……………………………. 68
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix A: Detailed Roadmap Activities (Preliminary) …………………………………………………… 75
Appendix A.1: Feedstock Innovation Detailed Activities ………………………………………… 75
Appendix A.2: Conversion Technology Innovation Activities …………………………………. 84
Appendix A.3: Building Supply Chains Detailed Activities …………………………………….. 93
Appendix A.4: Policy and Valuation Analysis Detailed Activities ……………………………. 99
Appendix A.5: Enabling End Use Detailed Activities ……………………………………………. 104
Appendix A.6: Communicating Progress and Building Support Detailed Activities ….. 109

U.S. outlines roadmap to boost sustainable aviation fuel (Reuters)

Biden admin aims to make jet fuel greener: A short-term goal is to annually produce 3 billion gallons of domestic sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. (Political Pro/E&E News)

DOE Releases Roadmap to Achieve Carbon Neutral Aviation Emissions (U.S. Department of Energy)

Biden Jet Fuel Plan Adds Pressure On EPA To Maximize Biofuel Feedstocks (Inside EPA)

The U.S. Plan To Power 100% Of Its Flights With Renewable Jet Fuel (OilPrice.com)

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap (Biofuels Digest)

US roadmap outlines steps to meet the grand challenge of producing 35 billion gallons of SAF by 2050 (GreenAir Online)

Excerpt from Inside EPA: The Biden administration’s “roadmap” for massively boosting low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, just released by multiple federal agencies, underscores the urgent need for EPA to approve production from as many biofuel feedstocks as possible, including use of food crops that environmentalists oppose as unsustainable. The SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap unveiled Sept. 26 is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of Transportation, outlining measures the federal government can take to realize…  READ MORE

Excerpt from Biofuels Digest:  The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Much More Modest Challenge Roadmap

As the authors of this impressive 126-page study note in their opening remarks:

“Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge is a U.S. government-wide approach to work with industry to reduce cost, enhance sustainability, and expand production to achieve 3 billion gallons per year of domestic sustainable aviation fuel production that achieve a minimum of a 50% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional fuel by 2030 and 100% of projected aviation jet fuel use, or 35 billion gallons of annual production, by 2050.”

A long sentence, for sure, a challenge, yes, but how grand?

Seems to me that we can sum up the challenge in about 126 words. Here goes.

1. Convert 3.1 billion gallons of available domestic fuel ethanol to 1.5 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, at 3 refineries each producing 500 million gallons from 1.05 billion gallons of ethanol intermediate.

2. Develop a sustainable, affordable incentive that persuades the makers of renewable diesel (and have some 8+ billion gallons of domestic US production on the planning board) to make 20% SAF in their fuel configuration.

3. By 2030, demonstrate and deploy alternative technologies that utilize biomethane or its precursors to make SAF. Provide loan guarantees for the first deployment of those technologies. Design incentives to bridge any cost differential between conventional jet and SAF.

4. If #2 fails, double #1.

5. Deploy at scale, rinse and repeat, until the 2050 goal is achieved.  READ MORE