Canadian SAF consortium produces first biojet

Canadian fuel developer SAF+ Consortium has produced its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — or biojet — at its pilot site near Montreal.

The SAF was produced using power-to-liquid technology. CO2 from industrial sources was captured and combined with green hydrogen, produced in Quebec, to form synthetic fuel.

The consortium plans to bring the SAF to market by 2025 or 2026, it said this week. The fuel's carbon footprint is reduced by 80pc in comparison to conventional jet fuel, the consortium said.

Its members include French aircraft manufacturer Airbus, Canadian airline Air Transat, chemical supplier Parachem and Aeroports de Montreal, among others. Air Transat has committed to buying a "significant portion" of the future production.

"Our planes are already capable of integrating a mixture of up to 50pc SAF and our goal is to achieve 100pc compatibility by 2030," said Airbus' New Energies programme head Steven Le Moing. Airbus last year released designs for zero-emissions passenger aircraft, with hydrogen as the primary power source.

By Georgia Gratton