Sustainable Aviation Fuel Stakeholders Unite to Form The SAF Coalition

April 29, 2024

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(The SAF Coalition) The SAF Coalition will work to advance federal support for the development, growth and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel -- Today, 40 companies and organizations that hold a stake in the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel united to announce the formation of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition. The organization is comprised of airlines and aircraft operators, agricultural enterprises, aircraft and aircraft equipment manufacturers, airports, technology developers, labor unions and biofuel producers.

The goal of this new nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition is to rapidly scale investment in the SAF sector and advocate for the incentives and policies necessary to promote U.S. economic competitiveness in the emerging SAF marketplace. While SAF Coalition members have been working together informally for years, this newly formed organization will leverage the collective strength of the entirety of the SAF value chain to accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels in the U.S.

“SAF will enhance domestic energy security, create new markets for American farmers, reduce aviation emissions and drive next-generation technology development,” said Alison Graab, Executive Director, SAF Coalition. “The membership of this coalition shows the deep support that SAF enjoys across aviation’s many stakeholders. Federal policies that support and increase SAF production will create jobs, spur innovation, reduce the environmental impacts of jet fuel, and enhance American energy security.”

Aviation accounts for roughly twelve percent of global transportation emissions and two to three percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. SAF is a lower carbon aviation fuel produced from a variety of feedstocks such as renewable biomass and waste resources that serve as a substitute to traditional jet fuel made from crude oil. SAF has chemical and physical properties similar to traditional jet fuel and does not require modifications to aircraft or infrastructure. SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent on a lifecycle basis compared to traditional jet fuel.

Despite its potential, the SAF market is still in its infancy, and its current production capacity is limited, making it roughly two to four times more costly than traditional jet fuel. The SAF Coalition supports policies that will expand the supply of low-carbon, commercially competitive SAF; enhance U.S. economic competitiveness in the SAF marketplace; develop a robust and competitive market for SAF; and create jobs while increasing U.S. fuel production and innovation.

Our members include:

Advanced Biofuels Canada
Air Line Pilot Association, International
Airlines for America
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
American Carbon Alliance
American Express Global Business Travel
Atlas Air
The Boeing Company
Bracewell LLP
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Darling Ingredients
Enviva Biomass
Fulcrum BioEnergy
GE Aerospace
Gevo

Global Business Travel Association
Green Plains
Growth Energy
Hawaiian Airlines
International Airlines Group
JetBlue
LanzaJet
LanzaTech
NetJets
POET
Port of Portland
Port of Seattle/Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Renewable Fuels Association
San Francisco International Airport
Spokane International Airport
Sumitomo Corporation of Americas
Summit Agricultural Group
Topsoe
Twelve
United Airlines
Velocys
VeriJet
World Energy
XCF Global Capital

Additional information about the coalition can be found at theSAFcoalition.com.

About the SAF Coalition
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition represents the entirety of the SAF value chain. Through the coalition, our members are working together to rapidly invest in the SAF sector and advocate for the incentives and policies necessary to promote U.S. economic competitiveness in the emerging SAF marketplace.

Visit theSAFcoalition.com and follow the SAF Coalition on X and Facebook to learn more. READ MORE

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Sustainable Aviation Fuel Stakeholders Form SAF Coalition (Energy.AgWired.com)
RFA Proud to Join New SAF Coalition at Takeoff (Renewable Fuels Association)
Coalition launches to lobby on clean fuel tax credit: Airlines, airports, manufacturers and others are joining forces to protect the Inflation Reduction Act incentive. (Politico Pro Greenwire)
BIO joins new SAF Coalition promoting sustainable aviation fuel (BIO News)
Amazon Joins SAF Coalition (Energy.AgWired.com)

Excerpt from Politico Pro Greenwire: Unlike most of the clean energy tax credits included in the IRA of 2022 that run 10 years, the program to boost the production of a still-nascent fuel source that could help one of the world’s most polluting sectors decarbonize expires at the end of 2024.

At that point, incentives to produce sustainable aviation fuel — often called SAF — get rolled into the Clean Fuels Production Credit, which will sunset in 2027.

But members of the SAF Coalition say that doesn’t add up to nearly enough time or certainty for investors to help grow the new sector. Though demand for SAF is growing, it’s still costly to produce and not enough facilities are making it. READ MORE

Excerpt from BIO News: The new SAF Coalition, which seeks to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), just added 10 new members—including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)— according to a June 20 announcement.

Established in April and now 50+ members strong, the SAF Coalition advocates for policies to improve U.S. competitiveness in the SAF marketplace and increase domestic production.

“BIO is proud to join the SAF Coalition. We look forward to working with them as we continue our efforts to advance SAF production and adoption in the U.S.,” says John Torres, BIO’s Senior Director, Federal Government Relations, Agriculture & Environment.

...

The new bipartisan Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus seeks to enable new technologies including SAF to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel. Chaired by Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), the caucus includes:

Mike Flood (R-NE)
Nikki Budzinski (D-IL)
Salud Carbajal (D-CA)
Troy Carter (D-LA)
Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)
Tom Kean (R-NJ)
Brad Finstad (R-MN)

“By accessing federal policy, holding forums, and bringing together public and private partners, the caucus will play a key role in the integration of new technologies into the nation’s aviation network,” says a press release from Rep. Davids.

How BIO and its members are supporting SAF

BIO’s membership includes Virent, which recently fueled the first transatlantic flight of a commercial aircraft powered 100% with SAF, and LanzaJet, which recently opened the world’s first production facility to convert plant-based and low-carbon ethanol into SAF in Soperton, Georgia.

BIO has long worked for these and other members to promote government policy that encourages the production and use of SAF. This includes support for legislation and federal rules that more accurately model the greenhouse gas savings from biofuels, including SAF.

BIO has also promoted policy to support SAFs through legislation like the Farm Bill. “We think the Farm Bill could be a great vehicle to add some incentives around the airline industry’s adoption of biofuels,” Torres has said. READ MORE