U.S. Department of Energy: Paving the Way for 3 Billion Gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2030
São Paulo, October 2024 – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through Program Manager Jim Spaeth, recently revealed ambitious targets for the country’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. According to Spaeth, the U.S. is poised to produce 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030 ba sed on projected capacities. In the first half of 2024 alone, production or import of SAF reached 50 million gallons, equating to 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions avoided.
Spaeth, representing the U.S. at recent high-profile conferences, including the G20 meeting on Energy Transition in Brazil, emphasized that SAF forms a cornerstone of the nation’s decarbonization strategy. “We want to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” Spaeth remarked, underscoring the unique challenges posed by the transportation sector, which is the largest contributor to U.S. emissions and accounts for half of the country’s energy spending.
In 2021, the Biden administration launched the U.S. SAF Grand Challenge to reduce aviation emissions by 50%. However, the goal has since evolved to target a complete transition from fossil-based to sustainable jet fuel by 2050. This vision relies on various improvements—from operational and design enhancements to SAF production, which Spaeth highlights as a major driver of emission reduction.
Collaborative Efforts Across Government
Meeting these ambitious targets will require leveraging over half a billion tons of biomass annually by 2050. Eight federal agencies are working in concert toward this objective, including the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Department of Defense. The Department of Agriculture leads biomass resource mobilization, while the DOE focuses on technologies to efficiently process and convert raw materials into SAF.
The U.S. possesses abundant biomass resources, ranging from crops like corn and soy to wood residues from forests across various climates and regions. Despite this diversity, establishing a viable SAF supply chain demands continuous advancements in technology to improve cost-effectiveness and conversion efficiency.
Milestones and Projections
The U.S. SAF market has shown steady growth. In 2021, production totaled 5 million gallons, increasing tenfold to 50 million gallons by mid-2024. According to Spaeth, production is expected to reach between 2.5 and 5 billion gallons by 2030. The DOE’s Billion Ton Study projects that with over 1.75 billion tons of biomass by 2050, the U.S. could generate more than 60 billion gallons of various biofuels, reducing emissions by 85% compared to fossil fuels.
A Global SAF Ecosystem
Spaeth reiterated the U.S.’s commitment to global collaboration, stressing the importance of building an international SAF ecosystem. “This is a global challenge, and no country can achieve it alone,” he concluded, highlighting the shared global imperative to achieve sustainable aviation and mitigate climate change.
