oneworld members to purchase up to 200 MMgpy of SAF from Gevo
Members of the oneworld Alliance plan to purchase up to 200 MMgpy of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Colorado-based renewable fuels producer Gevo, in the second such joint commitment by the global airline alliance in four months.
Delivery of the fuel is expected to commence in 2027, for a five year-term. oneworld members Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways expect to utilize the SAF for operations in California including San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles International Airports.
SAF is a core pillar in oneworld’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. In October 2021, the alliance committed to a target of 10% SAF use across the alliance by 2030. oneworld members are partnering to collectively source SAF, through the alliance’s Environment and Sustainability Board chaired by IAG Head of Sustainability Jonathon Counsel with representation from all member airlines.
In November 2021, oneworld announced a joint commitment to purchase more than 350 MMg of blended SAF from Aemetis for operations at San Francisco – making oneworld the first global airline alliance to jointly commit to purchasing SAF.
Gevo’s SAF is expected to be produced using inedible corn products that will be processed to create ethanol that will then be converted into SAF. The SAF is expected to be produced at three facilities under development in the Midwest of the U.S. The entire supply chain will be certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials standard which is widely recognized as the most robust certification scheme for bioenergy.
oneworld Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said, “As the aviation industry continues to face new challenges, today’s announcement underlines the positive outcome of the multilateral collaboration between industry stakeholders. It reaffirms the leadership of our alliance in supporting the ambitious aviation decarbonization targets, as well as our active role in driving the use of ICAO recognized SAF at a commercial scale.”
oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said, “Five months ago, we committed as an alliance to a target of 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Today’s announcement of a second major sustainable aviation fuel offtake among member airlines builds further upon that commitment, while demonstrating the value that can be delivered when our member airlines work together.”
“When oneworld member airlines show they understand the importance of reducing fossil-carbon greenhouse gas emissions, they start making real change in the industry,” said Dr. Patrick R. Gruber, Gevo’s Chief Executive Officer. “Eliminating fossil-based emissions from the life-cycle of jet fuel is our mission. Net-Zero SAF is what we all want. I’m pleased that oneworld is on board.”
Gevo is focused on sustainability at every stage of production and has developed two alcohol-to-jet pathways that can utilize various feedstocks grown using renewable agricultural and sustainable farming techniques. These feedstocks are then converted, in some cases, to high-value nutrition products and energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons, including SAF. Gevo’s production processes will incorporate renewable energy, including wind turbines, biogas, and combined heat and power systems to increase efficiency and reduce carbon intensity to net-zero levels, which will then be passed on to the customer through the fuel. This is particularly helpful for customers, such as airlines, that seek to reduce their carbon intensity.
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