Pratt & Whitney Canada and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced in their statement that they have completed the first transatlantic flight using only sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in a PW815GA engine jet, in order to support cleaner aviation technology. Such efforts are expected to be critical to achieving net zero CO2 emissions in aviation in the coming decades, meaning a more sustainable future.An important step for sustainable aviation
The test flight, which was carried out using a Gulfstream G600 business jet equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PW800 series engines customized to run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), took off from the USA and landed in England. Both engines on the aircraft were powered by 100 percent HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids), a jet fuel that has at least 70 percent less CO2 emissions over its life cycle than fossil fuel.
The G600 jet, which entered service in 2019, is propelled by dual PW815GA engines. The Canadian company’s PW800 engine family is considered one of the mainstays of the business jet category, with over 330,000 flight hours. In addition to SAF fuels, companies are also working on solutions containing high-energy, easy-to-burn hydrogen that does not contain carbon atoms. Hydrogen fuel has the potential to enable zero-emission flight, but hydrogen presents some unique and serious challenges.Importance of SAF
Unlike traditional jet fuel (Jet A Kerosene), SAF can reduce the carbon impact of aircraft because it is produced from non-fossil-based raw materials. SAF comes in various forms and can be produced using sustainable raw materials such as vegetable oils, cooking oil residues and municipal waste.
Additionally, SAFs appear as a ready-to-use solution that does not require fuel infrastructure or new financing for existing aircraft. With 47,000 aircraft expected to be in the commercial fleet worldwide by 2030, SAF offers the most direct route to reducing the aviation industry’s carbon footprint. However, SAF production is still not at the desired level. According to Pratt & Whitney, the required investment in SAF manufacturing infrastructure to achieve net zero targets by 2050 should be $1.1 to $1.4 trillion. Let us also note that only 0.01 percent of jet fuel demand was provided by SAF in 2019. This rate is aimed to be increased to 65 percent by 2050.
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