Boeing buys 5.6 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel for 2023

Boeing has signed agreements to purchase 5.6 million gallons (21.2 million litres) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by Neste, a leading SAF producer, to support its U.S. commercial operations through 2023. These agreements more than double the company’s SAF procurement from last year.

“We are demonstrating our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and catalyse the SAF industry,” said Sheila Remes, Boeing Vice President of Environmental Sustainability. “This SAF procurement makes up 25% of Boeing’s total jet fuel needs for last year including our production, delivery, Boeing ecoDemonstrator, and Dreamlifter flights and we aim to increase that portion in the years to come.”

The purchase agreements include supply of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ which is blended with conventional jet fuel at a 30/70 ratio to produce the blended SAF. Neste MY SAF is made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as cooking oil and animal fat waste, and meets strict sustainability criteria.

EPIC Fuels and Signature Aviation company will provide 2.3 million gallons and Avfuel will supply 300,000 gallons of this blended SAF for the Boeing ecoDemonstrator flight test programme and the company’s commercial sites in Washington state and South Carolina. Boeing is also purchasing an additional three-million gallons of the same blended SAF from EPIC Fuels and Signature Aviation, generating emissions reduction credits for commercial deliveries, Dreamlifter and executive flights. These benefits are generated by a book-and-claim process that displaces petroleum jet fuel with SAF in fuelling systems outside the company’s fuel supply.

In 2021, Boeing committed to deliver its commercial airplanes capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030. SAF reduces CO₂ emissions by as much as 80% over the fuel’s life cycle with the potential to reach 100% in the future and is widely recognised as offering the greatest potential to decarbonise aviation over the next 20 to 30 years. Made from several feedstocks, SAF is certified for commercial use and can currently be blended up to 50% with traditional jet fuel without modifications to airplanes, engines or fuelling infrastructure.