Gatwick airport has hailed the first usage of sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF) for a flight departing from its runway, with 42 easyJet services
operating from the hub set to be powered by a 30 per cent fuel blend from Neste
over the coming weeks.
The milestone, which is also a first for easyJet in the UK,
has been reached through cooperation from the airline, Gatwick, aviation fuel
supplier Q8Aviation and SAF manufacturer Neste.
Of the 42 flights using the Neste MY Sustainable Aviation
Fuel blend, 39 will be easyJet services operating to Glasgow airport throughout
the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), which runs from 31 October to 12 November.
According to Gatwick, the SAF blend will reduce the CO2 emissions of the
flights by up to 70 tonnes compared to traditional aviation fuel.
Q8Aviation delivered Gatwick’s first supply of Neste’s SAF,
which is produced from 100 per cent renewable and sustainable waste and residue
raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. The fuel can
reportedly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to
fossil fuels.
Gatwick airport said the flights, the first of which is
departing today, will help it reach its goal of achieving net zero emissions by
2040 and claims its own 2019 carbon footprint showed it was half-way to this
milestone.
In a further move to decarbonise operations and reduce
emissions, easyJet has partnered with World Fuel Services to introduce an
electric hydrant dispenser at Gatwick, which will serve its fleet of 71 aircraft
based at the airport. Compared to diesel equivalents, the electric version can
reduce 18,000kg of CO2 emissions annually, according to the airport.
Jane Ashton, director of sustainability at easyJet, said: “The
availability of SAF still needs to grow but they will be an important interim
solution in our decarbonisation pathway while we are supporting the development
of zero-emission aircraft, which will be the most sustainable solution for
short-haul networks such as our own in the long term. In the meantime, we are
operating our flights as efficiently as possible and are currently the only
major European airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for
all flights, which has an impact right now.”
Tim Norwood, director of corporate affairs, planning and
sustainability at Gatwick airport, commented: “We are pleased to work with our
partners to be the first airport in the Vinci Airport network to introduce SAF
on a commercial flight and prove the concept that Gatwick is ready and able to
operationally utilise SAF. SAF is one of several ways that UK aviation and
Gatwick will reach net zero carbon by 2050, alongside carbon offsets, airspace
modernisation and continued innovation in aerospace technology, including
electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft systems. With smart government policy to
underpin investment in cost-competitive UK SAF production, many more flights
could be using UK-produced SAF by the mid-2020s.”
Jonathan Wood, vice president Europe, renewable aviation at
Neste, added: “Neste is investing as we speak to increase SAF production
capacity from 100,000 metric tonnes to 1.5 million metric tonnes annually in
2023. Neste welcomes government proposals to encourage the use of SAF to reduce
aviation greenhouse gas emissions. It is important that more and more airlines,
airports and fuel suppliers lead the way to a more sustainable future for
aviation.”
Earlier this year, Heathrow airport partnered with Neste and Vitol Aviation to integrate SAF into its supply for the G7 Summit. The hub has recently called on the UK government to implement new policies to encourage wider production and use of SAF.
Corporates are also supporting efforts to invest in SAF, with members of the World Economic Forum's Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition signing a pledge last month.
In July, the UK government announced it would divide a £15 million fund among eight companies to help them develop proposals to build SAF plants in the nation.