A huge rise in the production of sustainable aviation fuel will be needed in the coming years to enable European and American airlines meet their ambitious climate targets, experts have said.
Leading industry voices from both sides of the Atlantic told London Climate Action Week that the rate of SAF production at present looks set to leave airlines scrambling for green fuels on the road to net zero.
Scaling up the rate at which SAF is produced is a multifaceted challenge facing the sector, said Maxime Molenaar, head of sales at Sky Energy.
The company, based in Amsterdam, works with airports, airlines, corporate customers and leisure travellers to bring more fossil fuel alternatives into the system.
Ms Molenaar made her comments during a session entitled “Scaling Sustainable Aviation – the Rapid Transformation Required to Decarbonise Air Travel and Transport and the Critical Role that SAF has to Play”.
“Today, less than 1 per cent of jet fuel [used around the world] is sustainable aviation fuel,” she told the audience at a panel discussion.
“By the end of next year, we will have a handful of SAF refineries in the EU … we expect that we’re going to see a demand of 40 million tonnes in 2050.
“Just to give you an idea, we would need about 150 additional refineries to get there which equates to around €250 billion in investment.
“So it’s not even doubling. It’s going from a handful to 150 additional refineries.”
We need to go from a handful of SAF refineries in the EU to 150
Maxime Molenaar,
head of sales at Sky Energy
The projected demand for SAF in Europe coupled with that of the US means the industry is facing a “very big challenge”, she added.
Carrie Harris, director of sustainability at British Airways, said the company has been looking into SAF for more than 15 years.
In March 2022, the international airline became the first in the world to use sustainable jet fuel produced on a commercial scale in the UK.
BA has committed to ensuring that 10 per cent of the fuel in its planes will be sustainable by 2030, Ms Harris said.
Today, SAF accounts for less than 1 per cent of the airline’s total fuel use, which Ms Harris said represents a “great start”.
She noted aviation’s “incredible challenge with climate change” but said that while people are more conscious of their carbon footprint and may choose to fly less frequently, air travel will continue to have a role in society.
“Our role, our focus is to try to decarbonise as fast as possible,” she said.
Ms Harris said SAF is a “crucial part” of BA’s road to achieving net zero and “potentially up to 60 per cent of our pathway to net zero” could come from eco-friendly fuels.
“The good thing is, it’s proven technology,” she continued. “When we started talking about this 15 years ago, it was theoretical. Now, it’s already in our supply chain.
“So we’re really excited to have been the first, and only airline currently, who is taking direct supply of UK-produced sustainable aviation fuel that’s made up in Humberside from processed and waste cooking oil. That comes through the pipeline into Heathrow operations.”
Earlier this year, the chief executive of BA's parent company said the UK is falling behind Europe and the US in developing eco-friendly aviation fuels because of government inaction.
British Airways through the years – in pictures
Brett Orlando, managing director of Bank of America, said there have been a “long list of carrots” dangled before the aviation industry when it comes to investment in SAF in the US.
He listed biofuel tax credits and federal Renewable Fuel Standard programme as examples. The programme created by the US Congress aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the country’s renewable fuels sector while scaling back reliance on imported oil.
The incentives, he said, have been well received and add value to the production of each gallon of SAF. When added together, “they come very close to parity with conventional jet fuel” in terms of pricing, he said.
“That is what is incentivising a lot of the build out of production capacity in the US,” he said.
Mr Orlando said Europe was showing signs of adopting a more incentive-focused approach to SAF production.
“I think the EU is starting to take a page from the US book,” he said.
“They’ve now just recently announced that they’ve put about €2 billion aside on a first come, first serve basis offered out to airlines to help them basically pay the premium for that SAF. In the EU, it’s a combination of a lot of stick but some carrot now coming up.”
The EU in April agreed on a deal to set binding targets for airlines on the continent to ramp up their use of SAF in a bid to kick-start a market for green fuels and bring down the aviation sector’s carbon footprint.
Airlines will receive about €2 billion in funding from the EU carbon market to help them make the transition from fossil fuels to SAF.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%2C%20University%20College%20London%20and%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Charity%20and%20was%20made%20possible%20thanks%20to%20a%20generous%20%C2%A360%20million%20gift%20in%202014%20from%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20General%20Women's%20Union%2C%20President%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Council%20for%20Motherhood%20and%20Childhood%2C%20and%20Supreme%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Family%20Development%20Foundation.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
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