United Airlines is committed to reaching its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. So committed, that it recently signed what can be considered the biggest sustainable fuel purchase agreement in aviation history, one a half times the size of all other airlines’ SAF agreements combined.
United has agreed to purchase 1.5 billion gallons of SAF, over a period of 20 years, from Alder Fuels, once Alder begins to produce SAF that complies to United's requirements. That’s because although different SAF options are currently available, they still can’t match the performance of standard fuel.
This is where Alder comes in, as a company that intends to produce alternative fuel that can become a 100% drop-in replacement for petroleum jet fuel. The technologies it’s developing, in combination with Honeywell’s (another investor) Ecofining process, have the potential to produce high-performance SAF from resources that are widely-available and low-cost.
Alder’s primary source for fuel is forest and crop waste. According to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data, cited by the company, U.S. forestry and agricultural residues could provide enough biomass to replace 75% of aviation fuel consumption.
As Bryan Sherbacow, CEO of Alder Fuels, says, addressing sustainability in aviation has proved to be “one of the greatest technology challenges” but, with the use of these natural resources and advanced technologies, SAF is getting closer to providing a real solution. Before founding Alder Fuels, Sherbacow developed the world's first SAF refinery, which integrated Honeywell’s technology, and signed the first agreement with United.
United became the first global airline to start using SAF on a regular basis and now, with this new agreement, it also surpassed all others in terms of the quantity of SAF being purchased.
Alder’s innovative research is also being supported by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency and DOE, through a partnership with DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The goal is to obtain carbon-negative jet fuel that can fully replace petroleum fuel, for wide-scale use in aviation.
Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other. Full profile
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