• Instead, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is being considered as an alternative to fossil fuel.
• The U.S. government is likely to provide a minimum of USD 2 as an incentive on each gallon of SAF sold.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly discussing plans to wean off aircraft from using fossil fuels by 2050 to combat climate change. The administration is aiming to replace fossil fuels with jet fuel and other renewable sources.

While the discussions are still in the early stages, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is being considered as an alternative to fossil fuel.

For the record, SAF is produced from feedstock such as animal fat and cooking oil but is two to five times costlier than standard jet fuel. Both U.S. and European governments are exploring methods to boost their production to lower its price.

As per the IATA report, approximately 100-120 million liters of SAF will be produced in 2021 which is just 0.05% of the global jet fuel demand that totals to 200 billion liters each year.

Regulators in Europe are asking suppliers to blend increasing amounts of SAF into their kerosene to combat climate change. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is likely to provide USD 2 as an incentive per gallon which will enable producers to sell SAF at approximately the same price as conventional fuel.

Environmentalists believe that the Biden Administration needs to announce a mandate just like the European government to raise production and reduce the price of sustainable aviation fuel. Planes and engines with fossil fuel are likely to be launched by 2030, cited sources with relevant information.

Despite all these initiatives and discussions, it is still unclear whether SAF will be available at an affordable price for the airlines which have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source Credits –

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-08-10/exclusive-us-weighs-2050-target-in-bid-to-wean-airlines-off-fossil-fuels