How To Reduce The Impact From Your Flight: More About Our Partnership With Neste Sustainable Aviation Fuel

How does SAF end up on my flight? 

SAF is not physically transported and entered into the specific aircraft of the person paying for the fuel. This is because transporting the sustainable aviation fuel to a specific airport or flight is not always possible and could lead to even higher greenhouse gas emissions.‍

What is SAF?

Sustainable aviation fuel is a key component in the set of solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by travel. Sustainable aviation fuel has an up to 80 percent lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel, and it helps protect water and air quality because of its low sulfur content. It also significantly reduces the particulate matter (soot) of airplane emissions.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a biofuel that can be used to power airplanes and is made of waste and residue materials. It is a “drop in” fuel that can be mixed with conventional jet fuel and requires no modification to existing jet engines.

How is SAF made? 

Neste produces its sustainable aviation fuel from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials like used cooking oil and animal fat waste. All its suppliers are required to commit to its Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes criteria on climate, environment, human and labor rights, and ethical business conduct. Here’s a quick step by step overview of how it’s produced: 

1. Renewable raw material inputs for Neste SAF consist of waste and residues - like used cooking oil and animal fat waste.
2. The waste and residue materials are pre-treated to remove impurities. This creates a clean, pure raw material that can be turned into a high quality sustainable aviation fuel.
3. SAF is made from hydrocarbon molecules through a process called hydrodeoxygenation. Impurities, like sulfur and nitrogen, are removed as well during this process. Using Neste’s unique technology, hydrocarbons are transformed into a jet fuel  fully meeting global jet fuel specifications. 
4. Neste MY SAF is then blended with conventional jet fuel prior to use.It is then certified as a regular jet fuel and ready to be delivered to airports to fuel aircraft.

Instead, the sustainable aviation fuel you purchase is delivered into the fuel system at an airport close to the SAF production facility. This entry is tracked and verified, and allocated to the individual or organization that has paid for it. 

When you make a SAF purchase through Tomorrow’s Air it is tracked in our ledger. We use the money you pay to place an order for sustainable aviation fuel with our partner, Neste. SAF orders for Tomorrow’s Air customers are fulfilled within 12 months of purchase. 

How does it help clean our air? 

Sustainable aviation fuel has an up to 80 percent lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel. It is also being studied for its potential to reduce the particulate matter (soot) in airplane emissions, reducing the non-CO2 effects of flying. The emissions reduction provided by sustainable aviation fuel is calculated by taking into account the entire life cycle of the fuel -  from raw material extraction to consumption of the fuel -  and comparing it to similar emissions from fossil jet fuel.

Why the scaleup of this technology matters: 

Sustainable aviation fuel has an up to 80 percent lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel. Yet, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the use of sustainable aviation fuels was only 0.1 percent of the total jet fuel consumption in 2022. 

As the number of travelers grows  - the World Travel and Tourism Council predicts global travel to grow on average by 5.8 percent annually to 2032, and having doubled by 2040!  -  the urgency to act on air travel related emissions has never been greater and sustainable aviation fuel is widely acknowledged as a key solution.

Tomorrow’s Air is trying to help expand the use of sustainable aviation fuel by aggregating and coordinating traveler and travel business demand for it, which will help grow the supply and expand its use.

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