Last November, Virgin Atlantic flew one of its Boeing 787s, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, from London Heathrow to New York JFK using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Dubbed “Flight100” the airline aimed to measure whether SAF was a safe drop-in replacement for fossil fuel and was indeed a greener alternative to the current jet-fuel.
Virgin Atlantic's answer is clear - “If you make it, we will fly it”
The results:
- The use of 100% SAF saved the lifecycle equivalent of 95 tonnes of CO2 or 64% of the emissions of a standard London Heathrow to New York JFK flight
- SAF has potential benefits beyond a reduction in lifecycle CO2, including a 40% reduction in particulates which could contribute to a significant reduction in contrail production. The higher energy density of SAF - shown to be up to 1% compared to fossil fuel in Flight100 - can also contribute to increased fuel efficiency and further emissions reductions
- SAF is the only viable mid-term solution to decarbonise long haul aviation, it needs to be produced at scale
The SAF used on Flight100 is a unique dual blend - 88% HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) and 12% SAK (Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene). The HEFA is made from waste fats while the SAK is made from plant sugars, with the remainder of plant proteins, oil and fibres continuing into the food chain. SAK is needed in 100% SAF blends to give the fuel the required aromatics for engine function.
Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic says: “Flight100 proves that Sustainable Aviation Fuel can be used as a safe, drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel and it’s the only viable solution for decarbonising long haul aviation. It’s taken radical collaboration to get here and we’re proud to have reached this important milestone, but we need to push further. There’s simply not enough SAF and it’s clear that in order to reach production at scale, we need to see significantly more investment. This will only happen when regulatory certainty and price support mechanisms, backed by Government (UK), are in place. Flight100 proves that if you make it, we’ll fly it.”
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