Airlines at Heathrow Airport are anticipated to use record amounts of SAF next year as the airport extends its carbon-cutting scheme for a third year. In 2024, £71 million will be available to airlines through the incentive, targeting up to 2.5% of aviation fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF and if achieved, amounting to 155,000 tonnes of aviation fuel.
The scheme encourages airlines to switch to SAF by approximately halving the price-gap between kerosene and its greener alternative, making SAF a commercial reality for airlines. In 2024, the scheme is targeting up to a 341,755-tonne reduction of carbon equivalent emissions from flights if 70% GHG emissions reduction is achieved. This is equivalent to over 568,000 passenger round trips from Heathrow to New York.
Heathrow is aiming for 11% SAF usage by 2030, scaling up the incentive year on year. Integrating SAF into the fuel supply is one of the airport’s most significant steps to cut carbon, on the road to net-zero by 2050.
SAF is an alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-based kerosene which can deliver up to 70% carbon savings in the lifecycle by using feedstocks like used cooking oil and other kinds of waste. The technology is proven, with hundreds of thousands of flights already powered in part by SAF. It can be dropped into existing aircraft at up to a 50% blend (in future 100% blend) with no need for infrastructure or aircraft engine changes. It will be showcased on the world stage during the upcoming (28 November) Virgin Atlantic 100% SAF flight from Heathrow to New York JFK.
Heathrow Director of Carbon, Matt Gorman said: “Sustainable aviation fuels are a proven reality – they have already powered hundreds of thousands of flights and we will soon show we can fly the Atlantic fossil fuel free. Heathrow’s first of its kind incentive scheme has seen SAF use at the airport ramp up in recent years. Now, the Government needs to capitalise on this strong demand and legislate for a revenue certainty mechanism to enable a home-grown SAF industry, before it is too late for the UK to benefit from jobs, growth and energy security this would bring.”
