Irish national air carrier Aer Lingus has announced that it has signed a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply agreement with the US-based renewable fuels producer and process developer Gevo, Inc. The agreement will see the purchase of 19 000 tonnes of SAF per annum for five years and is a significant step by the airline in its commitment to a lower-carbon future.
As part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), Aer Lingus has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has committed to powering 10 percent of its flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.
This agreement with Gevo marks an exciting and critical step on our journey to net zero carbon emissions and underlines our commitment to powering 10 percent of flights using sustainable aviation fuel by 2030, said Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus.
The introduction of SAF as a renewable fuel source is instrumental for the airline in realizing its ambitions and Aer Lingus plans to commence fuelling its aircraft with SAF from Gevo starting in 2026.
The sustainable aviation fuel produced by Gevo will be used to power our flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco and, from 2026, 50 percent of fuel purchased by Aer Lingus from California will be sustainable aviation fuel, Lynne Embleton said.
The supply agreement will see Aer Lingus purchase enough SAF to reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 180 000 tonnes, the equivalent of powering 1 000 net zero CO2 emissions transatlantic flights between Dublin (DUB) and Los Angeles (LAX) on an A330 aircraft.
Gevo’s sustainable aviation fuel delivers renewable energy to a transportation sector that is actively seeking to reduce its carbon intensity. Because our fuel is fungible and drop-in ready, it’s expected to have an immediate impact to help our partner airlines achieve their sustainability targets ahead of schedule, said Dr Patrick R. Gruber, CEO of Gevo.
